The Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA) has intensified efforts to attract strategic international partnerships aimed at strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting innovation and protecting local intellectual property.
MEDA made this move during a strategic engagement with key development organisations at the United Nations House, where the agency held bilateral discussions with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
MEDA, UNDP Explore MSME Development Opportunities
During the engagement with UNDP, MEDA explored opportunities for accessing technical expertise, resources and strategic support for the growth of MSMEs across Cross River State.
The discussions followed a visit by a UN team to Calabar in June and further highlighted the organisation’s commitment to strengthening state-level economic capacity through its Integrated Smart State Programme.
Under the initiative, the UN seeks to align its technical and financial resources with the economic priorities identified by individual states, while jointly developing sustainable solutions tailored to local needs.
Speaking on the engagement, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of MEDA, Great Ogban, said the partnership would help address critical challenges confronting the state’s business community.
“This collaborative framework allows us to directly address the core needs of our business community. By aligning our state’s priorities with the global expertise of WIPO and the UNDP, we are creating an environment where MSMEs can innovate securely and scale effectively.”
MEDA Partners WIPO on Intellectual Property Protection
MEDA also held discussions with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on establishing frameworks to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights belonging to local businesses and entrepreneurs.
The WIPO Administrative Representative, Aje Adofikwu, reaffirmed the organisation’s readiness to collaborate with Cross River State, stressing the importance of intellectual property protection in supporting economic growth and enabling businesses to commercialise and scale their innovations.
The engagement underscores MEDA’s broader strategy of leveraging international networks and partnerships to strengthen Cross River’s enterprise ecosystem, attract targeted development support and create opportunities for sustainable business growth.
The agency said it remains committed to building partnerships that will foster innovation, entrepreneurship, MSME development and long-term economic prosperity in Cross River State.
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