Following the end of his successful tenure as Secretary-General of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam recently highlighted the strategic importance of the D-8 Center for Small and Medium Enterprises (D-8 SME Center). Officially launched in Abuja on June 17, 2025, the center is a direct response to the fact that over 90% of businesses across D-8 nations are SMEs.
Sited in Nigeria, the center serves as a “business bridge,” connecting Nigerian entrepreneurs to a combined market of 1.2 billion people with a total GDP of nearly $4 trillion.
1. A Strategic Export Hub in Abuja
The D-8 SME Center, co-facilitated by SMEDAN and the D-8 Secretariat, is designed to move Nigerian businesses beyond local survival into global competition.
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Market Matchmaking: The center acts as a clearinghouse, connecting Nigerian suppliers with buyers in Türkiye, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran.
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Harmonizing Standards: By aligning quality certifications (such as Halal and ISO standards) across member states, the center reduces the regulatory hurdles that often stall intra-D-8 trade.
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E-Commerce Integration: Plans are underway to integrate D-8 SMEs into a unified digital trade platform to facilitate seamless cross-border payments and logistics.
2. Managing the “Human Capital” Narrative
Ambassador Imam also addressed the dual nature of Nigeria’s global presence:
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Positive Representation: He noted that despite negative headlines, Nigerians are leading global innovation in creative industries, health, and engineering.
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Managing Brain Drain: Rather than viewing “Japa” (migration) as a total loss, Imam advocated for Formal Labour Agreements. These agreements would ensure that Nigerian professionals abroad can contribute back to the domestic economy through structured knowledge exchange and remittances, rather than irregular migration.
3. The D-8 Economic Snapshot (2026)
The D-8 group represents a massive “Global South” economic bloc that is often overlooked in favor of Western markets.
4. Call to Resilience for Nigerian Youth
Despite the economic headwinds of 2025 and 2026, Imam urged the youth to remain innovative. He described the Nigerian spirit as “hardworking and globally competitive,” noting that the digital economy is the primary tool for bypassing local infrastructure deficits to reach the D-8’s $1.5 trillion export market.
“The D-8 SME Center is more than a building; it is a bridge between continents and a platform to turn shared ideas into shared prosperity for our 1.2 billion citizens.” — Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, February 2026.
