Entrepreneurship Policy Effectiveness: A Critical Assessment of SMEDAN’s Mandate in North West Nigeria

This study critically assesses the effectiveness of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria's mandate delivery in North West Nigeria, evaluating the agency's performance in enterprise registration, business development service delivery, financing facilitation, and policy advocacy for SMEs in Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Jigawa States. SMEDAN was established as the primary federal government agency for SME development, but its resource constraints, governance challenges, and coordination difficulties with state government counterparts have limited its impact, particularly in the North West zone where the SME sector faces acute structural challenges. The study employs a programme evaluation methodology, combining document analysis of SMEDAN's annual reports and strategic plans with a survey of 100 SME owners who have had contact with SMEDAN offices in the region and 20 interviews with SMEDAN officials and independent enterprise development experts. Evaluation criteria include service reach, quality, relevance, and value for money. Findings reveal that SMEDAN's enterprise registration facilitation function has the highest reach but modest additionality, as many enterprises would register independently. Business development service delivery is severely underfunded relative to the agency's mandate, with most SME owners in the sample reporting minimal substantive support from their SMEDAN engagement. Financing facilitation partnerships with development finance institutions are underdeveloped. Recommendations include a performance-based funding model for SMEDAN and strengthened coordination protocols with state government enterprise agencies. Keywords: SMEDAN, entrepreneurship policy, North West Nigeria, SME development agency, policy evaluation.