Supporting Regulatory Efficiency and Unlocking Business Potentials for African Prosperity

Our work impacts on various dimensions of businesses' operations, government support for businesses and the overall business environment.

We are Driving the African Poverty Reduction Agenda (APRA) Through Strategic Support and Promotion of SMEs

At CSED, we are dedicated to reducing poverty across Africa by empowering small business owners through access to technology, capacity building, funding, and markets. By equipping entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they need, we enable them to use their businesses as vehicles for poverty reduction within their communities. Our suite of programs has been carefully selected to help us to realize our vision through a combination of in-house expertise, technology and partnerships.

Our Approach to Poverty Reduction

Empowering Small Business Owners

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for over 90% of businesses in Nigeria, contributing more than 60% of employment and nearly 50% of the national GDP. With such a significant role, MSMEs are key to job creation and poverty reduction, and at CSED, we are committed to maximizing their potential to drastically reduce poverty nationwide and across Africa.

We partner with national and sub-national agencies, corporations, and local and international development organizations to empower small business owners, enabling them to create wealth and generate jobs in their communities

Digitization & Funding Support

We empower small business owners by digitizing their operations with our integrated and proprietary technology, Capsule. 

This user-friendly platform offers electronic bookkeeping, inventory management, e-wallet services, and a funding marketplace. 

Helping Business owners to grow, expand, and create sustainable jobs.

The Funding Forum

In addition to digital and financial support, we organize The Funding Forum annually, in collaboration with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, providing entrepreneurs with access to innovative funding solutions and finance interventions from both the public and private sectors.

Enterprise Education & Mentorship

Through the CSED Business Institute - (CBI), we provide expert-led, industry-specific training programs to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Our partners include leaders from diverse sectors such as the Association of Movie Producers, Money Line with Nancy, various farmers' and food processors' associations, traders’ unions, and more.

Start Studio Incubator 

The institute operates the Start Studio Incubator offering three core initiatives:

The incubator has successfully supported over 100 startups across various industries, valued at over $500,000 in service, and reaching a collective valuation of over $10 million. 

In partnership with the Department of Science, Technology & Innovation, Education Secretariat of Federal Capital Territory Administration, we are establishing a co-working space in Abuja to provide affordable office spaces for our growing startups.

MSMEs Friendly States Index 

The institute manages the MSMEs Friendly States Index (MFSI), 

an accountability platform that tracks the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises -related activities of sub-national governments across three key pillars: 

This index helps identify the most MSME-friendly states and works with governments to design and implement sustainable interventions for small business owners.

Future Ready

Preparing Fresh Graduates for the Business World as Employees or Entrepreneurs


Future Ready is a comprehensive four-week training program crafted to prepare recent graduates for success in the business world, whether as visionary employees or entrepreneurs. With a blend of practical modules, mentorship, and hands-on learning, the program bridges the knowledge and experience gap, equipping participants with the skills, strategies, and networks needed for rapid growth in their career or business pursuits.

Future Ready encompasses three core modules that guide participants from their starting points to their chosen career pathways. These modules are designed to provide a balanced foundation in both employee and entrepreneurial roles, recognizing the complementary nature of these pathways in the business landscape.

Core Modules

1. Business World Ready

This foundational module introduces participants to the two primary pathways within the business world: starting a business as an entrepreneur or driving a business forward as an employee. It highlights the importance of both roles and explores the dynamics that make each pathway vital to the economic ecosystem.

2. Visionary Employee Track

This specialized track is tailored for those who aspire to excel within established organizations, climb the corporate ladder, and adopt an intrapreneurial mindset that fosters innovation within their roles.

3. Entrepreneurship Journey Track

For participants who envision starting and scaling their own business, this track offers intensive training on how to develop a market-driven business from the ground up.

CSED partner with different organizations in the delivery of the program.

Business and Community Development Advisory 

We draw from years of experience supporting international companies through deep and relevant market studies and market entry strategy development, business representation, and project development services for infrastructure and social development.

CSED Integrated Strategy Unit (CiSu) Limited

CiSu is the arm of CSED responsible for asset development, business advisory, and community development services for private, public, and development sector organizations. We lead initiatives ranging from state government needs assessments to market research on additive manufacturing, inclusive finance, and creative industries. We also support company establishment in Nigeria and facilitate the expansion of African companies into new markets. Additionally, CiSu leads commercial real estate development projects in collaboration with a consortium of partners.

Our advisors possess deep, practical expertise in business development and market growth, providing tailored advisory services to drive innovation and development across sectors.

Our Impact Stories 

CSED Delegation Champions Economic Transformation in Benue State

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, the Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) Country Director and CEO, ID Freeman, visited Benue State, Nigeria. The visit, facilitated by Dooyum Naadzenga, CSED Head of Policy & Strategic Engagement for Benue State, aimed to advance CSED's developmental initiatives in the region. These initiatives began in 2021 with the Integrated Benue Communities Development (IBCD) Need Assessment, funded by the James Zua Tule Pewaren Foundation (JZTPF). Following the assessment, CSED developed the Benue Economic Development Agenda Framework anchored on an Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI) Implementation Plan.....Read More

Benue Economic Development Agenda (BEDA); Re-establishing the place of Benue as Food Basket of the Nation

The Benue Economic Development Agenda (BEDA) stands as a transformative blueprint, aiming to reinstate Benue State as the revered Food Basket of Nigeria. In the inaugural phase of BEDA, the Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) forged a strategic partnership with the JZTP Foundation. Together, they orchestrated... Read More

Startup Ecosystem Development in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria

The inception of the Start Studio Incubator marked a significant stride in shaping innovative ideas into sustainable businesses while seamlessly integrating them into the global funding ecosystem. Originating in 2018, prior to the formal establishment of the Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) in 2019, the Founders initiated an experimental partnership with Harmony Innovation Hub. This collaboration culminated in the provision... Read More

Growing Access to finance across West Africa


The Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) embarked on a transformative journey to enhance financial inclusion across West Africa, particularly targeting Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs). The financial inclusion platform, initially launched in Ghana and Nigeria, aimed to provide credible record-keeping solutions and facilitate access to funding through... Read More

Strategic Enterprise Ecosystem Development and Advocacy

The Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) spearheads the Future SMEs Project (FSP), a dynamic accountability initiative focused on amplifying the voice of Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria's public expenditure management (PEM) and private sector development domain. At the heart of this endeavor is the MSMEs Friendly States Index (MFSI), a powerful... Read More

Bridging the $158million MSMEs Funding gap in Nigeria

Addressing the substantial $158 million USD funding gap for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria, the Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) took proactive measures by introducing The Funding Forum (TFF). This innovative initiative serves as a pivotal platform fostering collaboration and dialogue among public-private entities and international development... Read More

Growing Business Executives’ Capacity for Inclusion in the Contemporary Economy

In 2023, the Center for Strategic Enterprise Development (CSED) unveiled the CSED Business Institute (CBI), a transformative initiative driven by extensive industry research on the business and human capacity requirements of Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. This strategic move by CSED involves collaboration with divers... Read More

Get Involved

Become a driving force for Africa's economic transformation.

Join a community of leading minds and experts who are committed to fostering sustainable economic growth and uplifting communities. Together, we can empower small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to thrive, creating jobs and lifting families out of poverty.

Our initiatives are designed to strengthen, support, and strategically grow SMEs, providing them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. By investing in SMEs, we are investing in the future of Africa.

Join us in shaping the conversation about Africa's economic future.

The discussions that will shape Africa's economic trajectory are happening now. We invite you to be a part of this important dialogue. Share your ideas, seek solutions, and collaborate with us to make a difference.

Together, we can build a more prosperous and equitable Africa. Join us today.