Managing Innovation in Nigerian Manufacturing SMEs: A Professional Development Framework

This study develops a professional framework for managing innovation in Nigerian small and medium manufacturing enterprises, drawing on evidence from SMEs in Lagos, Kano, and Onitsha to identify the management practices, organisational structures, and resource strategies that enable consistent product and process innovation in resource-constrained settings. Innovation management in SMEs requires different approaches from those applicable to large corporations, and the Nigerian manufacturing context, characterised by infrastructure challenges, limited R&D investment, and strong informal knowledge networks, demands a locally grounded framework rather than a direct adoption of Western models. The study employs a qualitative multi-site case study methodology, examining six manufacturing SMEs that have demonstrably sustained innovation activity over at least five years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with owners and managers, observation of innovation management processes, and document review. Cross-case thematic analysis was applied. Findings reveal that successful innovation management in Nigerian manufacturing SMEs is characterised by owner-led creative briefs adapted to customer feedback, informal but systematic reverse engineering of competitor products, strategic deployment of artisan apprentice networks as low-cost innovation labour, and proactive engagement with industry associations for technology and market intelligence. Formal R&D structures are absent in all six cases. The study proposes a seven-component professional innovation management framework adapted to Nigerian SME conditions. Recommendations include the adoption of this framework as part of enterprise development training delivered by SMEDAN regional offices. Keywords: innovation management, manufacturing SME, Nigeria, professional framework, product development.