About this opportunity
SMEDAN is filling the Grow MSME Marketplace, the three day public fair inside the National MSME Conference 2026, and 30 of its 156 exhibitor slots are being given out through an open application. The remaining booths come through state nominations, BMO nominations and the GIZ partnership, so this form is the route for a business that was not nominated. The fair runs 8 to 10 November 2026 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, and it is open to shoppers at no cost across all three days.
What an approved booth gives you is shelf space in front of the crowd the organiser expects, around 5,000 visitors a day on the marketplace page and close to 10,000 across the three days. Every business trading inside is CAC registered and SMEDAN registered, and each approved exhibitor is onboarded onto the Ecobank digital payment platform, so a first time seller leaves with a working way to take payments, not just orders. The wider conference runs five tracks, Finance and Capital Access, Markets and Export Readiness, Policy and Business Environment, Digital Adoption and Technology, and Workforce Solutions, and booth holders are inside that room rather than watching it from outside.
The profile SMEDAN is looking for is a small business with at least two years of trading history, a valid CAC number and a declared primary sector drawn from the list on the form, which covers agri and materials, beauty and wellness, craft and homeware, digital and tech, fashion accessories, food and beverage, health and nutrition, home goods, personal care and textiles and apparel. A SMEDAN ID is optional at the start of the form, and the page says applicants who supply one may be prioritised because the number is checked against SMEDAN's register.
The application itself takes about ten minutes across three sections, business and contact, about your business, then a declaration. It closes 23 October 2026 and decisions land by 27 October 2026, which leaves approved businesses most of October and all of November to prepare stock, photos and packaging before the doors open.
What you receive
- An exhibitor booth at the Grow MSME Marketplace, 8 to 10 November 2026 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos
- Access to the visitor traffic SMEDAN expects at the fair, around 5,000 people a day on the marketplace page
- Onboarding onto the Ecobank digital payment platform for approved businesses
- A place among 156 businesses drawn from all 36 states and the FCT, in front of buyers, partners and conference delegates
- Exposure to the five conference tracks, from finance and capital access to markets and export readiness
- A reference number by email once the application is submitted, so the business can track its own submission
- Support through the selection window at callcenter@smedan.gov.ng, with a stated response within 24 hours
Who can apply
- The business must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the CAC number is a required field on the form
- The business must be registered with SMEDAN; supplying the SMEDAN ID at the start of the form lets SMEDAN verify it against the register, and applicants with a SMEDAN ID may be prioritised
- The business must have been operating for two years or more, counted from the year founded entered on the form
- The business must declare a primary sector from the list on the application form
- The business must operate in one of the 36 Nigerian states or the FCT
- The applicant must consent to Ecobank onboarding for the digital payment platform if the booth is approved
- The applicant must confirm that the business meets the stated criteria and accept the Nigeria First Fair terms and conditions
- Selection is described as being on business fit and sector balance, with the open pool curated for sector and state balance
Who should not apply
- This application is for the open pool only. The 72 state nomination booths, 20 BMO nomination booths and 15 booths held under the GIZ partnership are filled separately and cannot be claimed through this form
- Businesses without a CAC registration do not meet the stated criteria
- Businesses trading for less than two years do not meet the stated criteria
- Booth allocation is proposed and subject to confirmation, so approval of the application is not a guaranteed booth position
- Food vendors sit in a separate allocation of 19 outdoor booths within the 156 total
Documents to prepare
- CAC registration number for the business
- SMEDAN ID, optional but checked against SMEDAN's register when supplied
- Business details: name, trading name if different, primary sector, state of operation, year founded, number of employees and a website or social handle
- Contact person details: first name, last name, email, phone and role at the business
- A one sentence description of what the business makes or sells
- A two to three sentence business story covering what you make, who you make it for and where the business is going
- At least three product images and a maximum of 2MB each, clear and well lit on a plain background
- Ticks on all four declaration statements before the application can be submitted
How to apply
- Open the booth application at https://conference.smedan.gov.ng/register/marketplace and, if you have one, enter your SMEDAN ID first so the form can prefill your business name, state and CAC number
- Complete section 1, Business and contact, with the business identity, the CAC number, and the contact person's name, email, phone and role
- Complete section 2, About your business, with the one sentence description, the two to three sentence story, and at least three product images of no more than 2MB each
- Use Save and continue later if you need to stop; the form keeps a draft so you can return to it before the closing date
- Read and tick each of the four declarations in section 3, covering the accuracy of your CAC and SMEDAN details, the eligibility criteria and fair terms, consent to Ecobank onboarding, and consent to your details being shared with SMEDAN and partners for post event opportunities
- Submit the application before 23 October 2026 and keep the reference number that arrives by email
- Questions during the review window go to callcenter@smedan.gov.ng, which SMEDAN lists as responding within 24 hours
Selection process
- Submitted applications receive a reference number by email
- SMEDAN curates the 30 open slots for sector and state balance rather than allocating them in the order received
- Decisions are communicated by 27 October 2026
- Approved businesses are onboarded onto the Ecobank digital payment platform and given a booth number
- SMEDAN verifies the SMEDAN number through its registration application programming interface; the CAC number and years of operation are self declared on the form, and incorrect details hold an application for manual review
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
How many booths can a business get through this application?
One. The open application pool is 30 of the 156 booths at the Grow MSME Marketplace, and the remaining 126 are filled through state nominations, BMO nominations, booths held under the GIZ partnership and the outdoor food vendors.
Is there a fee to apply for a booth?
SMEDAN marks registration as free across the conference site and lists no booth fee on the application page. The page states that attendance at the fair is free for shoppers on all three days.
Do I need a SMEDAN ID to apply?
No, the field is optional and the form says to fill it in normally without one. Applicants who do supply a SMEDAN ID may be prioritised, because that number is the only one SMEDAN can verify automatically against its register.
What happens after I submit?
You get a reference number by email. SMEDAN then curates the 30 open slots for sector and state balance, and decisions are sent by 27 October 2026. Approved businesses are onboarded onto the Ecobank payment platform and assigned a booth number.
When and where does the fair take place?
8 to 10 November 2026 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Sunday 8 November opens with a fashion and food showcase, Monday 9 November runs the conference sessions and the Zero to 100 semi-finals, and Tuesday 10 November closes with the final and awards.
What kind of product photos does the form want?
At least three, each no larger than 2MB. SMEDAN's own guidance is that clear, well lit photos of the product on a plain background work best, and large phone photos are resized automatically.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
