Ethnocentrique Limited, one of Africa’s rising forces in social impact and enterprise development, has strengthened its footprint across Nigeria with the launch of the MSME Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity Program (MCIPP) in partnership with the Abia State Government. Known for her transformative work through the Fashion Future Program, an initiative that has empowered thousands of young people, artisans, MSMEs, and people with disabilities, Ethnocentrique continues to shape the creative and small-business landscape with innovation, structure, and deep community engagement.
Across Nigeria, the organization has been recognized for designing systems that merge skills, entrepreneurship, and access pathways to create meaningful livelihoods. The MCIPP launch marks another milestone in Ethnocentrique’s growing impact, expanding its ecosystem-building work into a broader industrial productivity agenda for Abia State.
MCIPP directly tackles long-standing barriers within the state’s famed fashion and manufacturing sector. Although known across West Africa for its creativity and craftsmanship, the region has faced persistent challenges. The program responds with a structured, internationally aligned model that embeds certification, business development services, formalization, and market access into the core of Aba’s enterprise culture.
The launch event brought together development partners, industry associations, public sector actors, artisans, MSMEs, and persons with disabilities, demonstrating the scale of collaboration powering the initiative.
In his remarks at the event, Governor Otti emphasized the central role MSMEs play in Abia’s economic renewal and reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to work with organizations like Ethnocentrique to deliver sustainable, long-term growth. Beneficiaries at the event, artisans, BDSPs, and small business owners, exhibited their work and shared heartfelt testimonies on how Ethnocentrique’s interventions are reshaping their skills, confidence, and market readiness.
The event had in attendance high – level representatives from Udo Udoma & Belo-Osagie, the Trademark Registry of Nigeria, the Enterprise Development Center, WIPO, the Nigeria Copyright Commission, and the National Board for Technical Education, along with other prominent private and sector partners. They all commended Ethnocentrique and the State Government, describing MCIPP as a model capable of positioning Nigeria as a benchmark for standardized skills delivery, SME productivity, and inclusive enterprise development.
Speaking at the event, Ethnocentrique’s CEO, Irunna Ejibe, noted that MCIPP represents a bold step toward the kind of industrial future Nigeria needs. She remarked that the partnership demonstrates what becomes possible when private expertise and government vision align: “Our work with the Fashion Future Program showed that transformation happens when communities are empowered with skills, structure, and opportunity. MCIPP expands that impact. It gives artisans, MSMEs, and young people the tools to compete, not just in Abia or Nigeria, but across Africa and the global marketplace.”
For Ethnocentrique, MCIPP aligns with the organization’s long-standing mission to create systems where artisans, youth, MSMEs, and vulnerable groups thrive through standardized skills, business development, and market linkages, all supported by strong institutional partnerships.
The MCIPP initiative stands as a powerful example of what is possible when technical expertise, inclusive vision, and political will converge. With thousands of MSMEs and artisans set to benefit, the program positions Abia State for a new era of industrial renewal, one where Aba’s ingenuity is strengthened with global standards, structure, and opportunity.
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