Towards strengthening small businesses and promoting a more supportive regulatory environment, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) says it will hold the 2025 edition of its flagship MSMEs Fair on Tuesday (May 6, 2025).
The event, themed, “Galvanising MSMEs for Economic Growth and Stability”, will take place at NECA House in Lagos.
According to NECA’s Director-General, Mr Adewale Smatt Oyerinde, the fair seeks to provide micro, small, and medium enterprises with essential tools, resources, and strategic networks to thrive in Nigeria’s challenging business climate.
He emphasised the vital role MSMEs play in national development, describing them as the “lifeblood of Nigeria’s economy.”
Oyerinde noted that the fair is designed to offer entrepreneurs practical solutions to navigate economic uncertainties, regulatory hurdles, and business scalability issues.
A major attraction of this year’s event is the keynote address by the CEO of FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, a prominent advocate for MSME development.
She is expected to share transformative insights on innovative strategies for sustaining and growing small businesses in Nigeria.
A unique feature of the fair will be interactive sessions with key regulatory bodies. Entrepreneurs will engage directly with agencies responsible for licensing, compliance, taxation, and business registration.
NECA said these sessions aim to demystify bureaucratic processes and foster a more enabling business environment.
It also said the fair will provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exhibit their products and services, connect with potential investors, and explore new markets.
It added that participants would gain critical knowledge on digital transformation, access to finance, and strategies for sustainable business growth.
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· NECA stressed that the fair aligns with its broader mission of promoting enterprise development and economic resilience.
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· “By empowering MSMEs with the right support and information, the organisation aims to stimulate job creation, innovation, and long-term economic stability”, NECA said.
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· The 2025 MSMEs Fair is expected to attract a wide range of stakeholders, including financiers, tech experts, regulators, and industry leaders, all united in advancing the growth of Nigeria’s MSME sector.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, says over two million passengers have been transported on the Blue Line Rail since its launch, while state-run buses move an average of 42,000 commuters daily.
Osiyemi, who disclosed this during the Year 2025 Ministerial press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, on Tuesday, noted that the Lagos State Transport Policy, launched in May 2024, was now in its implementation phase, focusing on inclusivity, safety, affordability, and sustainability.
“On rail development, Phase One of the Blue Line (Marina to Mile 2) has served over two million passengers, with Phase Two (Mile 2 to Okokomaiko) in progress.
“Phase One of the Red Line (Agbado to Oyingbo) is now operational with eight stations and additional rolling stocks procured, while Phase two (Oyingbo to link Blue Line at National Theatre) is underway”, he said.
The Commissioner said in the state-owned bus operations, over 60 million commuters have been served since 2019, with daily ridership exceeding 40,000.
He also said plans were on to deploy new buses with Quality Bus Corridors under construction, adding that the Abule=Egba Bus Terminal had also been commissioned.
“For water transport, 15 locally-built Omibus Ferries have been launched and are in operation, with the Ijegun Egba Terminal now open.
“The OMI EKO project, in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), will deliver 25 terminals and 78 electric ferries.
“Over 280,000 passengers have used ferry services in the past year, and 12 boats have been upgraded to meet safety standards”, he said.
On road infrastructure and traffic management, the Commissioner said 49 junction improvement projects had been completed, including ongoing ones at Ikorodu, Iju, as well as Allen-Opebi-Toyin axis.
He added that solar-powered Traffic Signal Lights, road markings covering 67.9km, new medians, laybys, and 3,941 parking lots had also been provided.
Additionally, Osiyemi announced that the deployed Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras had detected over 470,000 traffic violations and that the Vehicle Inspection Service issued over one million roadworthiness certificates.
He also said that the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute trained more than 32,000 drivers in the past 13 months.
The event marked the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term, showcasing major strides in the transport sector under the THEMES+ agenda.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced that seizures made on smuggled rice topped the most seized items in the first quarter of 2025.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this and other achievements during a press briefing held recently at the NCS headquarters in Abuja.
He said, “Rice remained the most prevalent seized commodity, with 159 cases involving 135,474 bags valued at ¦ 939,309,698.00. Petroleum products followed with 61 seizures totaling 65,819 liters, valued ¦ 43,336,160.81 DPV.
“Of particular note were 22 narcotics interceptions valued at ¦ 730,748,173.00, reflecting our intensified focus on combating drug trafficking”.
The service, he noted, also recorded “three high-value wildlife product seizures with a remarkable ¦ 5,653,522,600.00 DPV, underscoring both the lucrative nature of this illegal trade and our commitment to environmental protection under international conventions”.
The Customs boss further disclosed a robust performance for the first quarter of 2025, exceeding its revenue target and recording significant gains in anti-smuggling operations and trade facilitation.
Speaking on the revenue collection surpassed target, Adeniyi said the NCS collected ¦ 1.75 trillion in revenue for Q1 2025, surpassing its quarterly benchmark of ¦ 1.65 trillion by ¦ 106.5 billion and achieving 106.47 percent of its projection.
According to him, this marks a 29.96 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, when the service collected ¦ 1.35 trillion.
Month-by-month analysis showed January collections up 65.77 percent year-on-year, with February and March also exceeding targets and 2024 figures.
On anti-smuggling efforts yield results, he said the Customs officers made 298 seizures in Q1 2025, with a total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of ¦ 7.7 billion—a 78.41 percent increase from Q4 2024.
However, this figure represents a 19.7 percent decrease compared to Q1 2024, attributed to improved compliance and the deterrent effect of enforcement.
According to the CGC, the seisures includes 135,474 bags of rice, petroleum products, narcotics, wildlife products, textiles, retreaded tires, and pharmaceuticals.
Speaking on trade facilitation and modernisation, he stated that the Customs top brass affirmed that NCS processed 327,928 import transactions in Q1 2025, which is up 5.28 percent from the previous year, and handled goods with a CIF value of ¦ 14.8 trillion, showing an  increase of 26.72 percent.
Meanwhile, export shipments declined in number but rose sharply in mass, reflecting a shift toward bulk commodity exports and improved processing efficiency.
The total trade value managed by the NCS reached ¦ 36.3 trillion for the quarter.
Key modernisation initiatives included the expansion of the B’Odogwu Customs clearance platform and the launch of the Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) programme, aimed at rewarding compliant businesses with faster processing.
The NCS also rolled out its “Customs Cares” corporate social responsibility programme, supporting education, health, and food security across Nigeria.
Speaking on the challenges, the Comptroller General of Customs, stressed that “The NCS faced challenges from exchange rate volatility, policy changes, and evolving smuggling tactics.
“Exchange rates fluctuated 62 times during the quarter, creating uncertainty for importers. The agency also navigated the suspension of the Financial Customs Service Operation and new tariffs on Nigerian exports to the United States.
“Looking ahead, the NCS aims to accelerate modernisation, expand digital platforms, and enhance service delivery, aligning with the federal government’s broader economic and trade reforms”.
Adeniyi reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparency, stakeholder engagement, and continued contributions to national revenue and security.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos