Emerging Market Economics (eme) Ltd. (now NATHAN.EME, London), in collaboration with Development Associates, was contracted by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) to run the MSME Project. It achieves this through the Project Management Unit (PMU). This innovative five year project, funded by the World Bank will initially be implemented on a pilot basis in three states, Lagos, kaduna and Abia.

The project commenced in 2005 with the establishment of a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) tasked with supporting the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) to implement the project.

The PMU is housed within the NIPC and assists to facilitate change to improve performance and employment levels of MSMEs in the selected non-oil sub-sectors within the pilot states. The aim is to build on best practice and lessons learned in Africa and globally on MSME development and target intermediaries that provide services (such as finance and business development services) to MSMEs rather than directly targeting the MSMEs. The initiatives are aimed at supporting MSME to provide demonstration opportunities that will help to establish a commitment among successful beneficiaries to mainstream internationlly recongised best practice models to the Nigeria context, and mobilise increased private sector investments into MSME development.

MSME Pilot States are Abia, Kaduna and Lagos States.

The Tourism Value Chain is being implemented in Cross River State. The Catfish Value Chain was also carried out in Oyo and Ogun States.