The Developing Eight (D-8) Organization for Economic Cooperation has set a target of raising trade among its member countries to $500 billion by 2030, highlighting Nigeria’s Abuja-based Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Centre as a key platform for supporting businesses.
D-8 Secretary-General, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, disclosed this on Thursday at the second D-8 Business Forum in Indonesia, held alongside the 41st Trade Expo Indonesia.
Mahmood said trade among member countries stood at about $157 billion in 2024, stressing that stronger private-sector partnerships, improved market access, increased investment and more resilient supply chains were needed to achieve the target.
He described the Abuja SME Centre, launched in June 2025, as an opportunity to strengthen entrepreneurship, build business capacity and connect small firms with regional and global markets. He called for closer collaboration between the centre, the D-8 chambers of commerce and the organisation’s secretariat to promote joint ventures and expand opportunities for young and women entrepreneurs.
Mahmood also identified agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals, energy, automotive manufacturing and digital technology as sectors with potential for cross-border investment and industrial partnerships.
Meanwhile, Nigerian business representatives at the forum raised concerns over the absence of a Nigerian government delegation. Hassan Tahir Yaro, a Kano business leader, said more than 150 Nigerian entrepreneurs attended to explore partnerships but called for better government coordination and support to help them turn contacts into tangible business opportunities.
Yaro urged the government to ensure that Nigerian businesses benefit more from international trade forums, particularly in access to finance, halal industries and export markets.
