On the 25th of November, 2025, stakeholders in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) ecosystem continued their sensitization activities ahead of the much-anticipated Made in Jos 2025 Business Carnival. After covering Jos North the previous day, the team moved into Jos South for another round of community engagement and awareness creation.
The walk began early in the day at the Obasanjo Model School and gradually made its way through several major communities and commercial hubs. From Federal Low-Cost to Bukuru Low-Cost, then into the bustling Bukuru Market, the team interacted with traders and residents, spreading information about the upcoming event. The movement continued to Anguldi Market, DB Zang Market, and the Building Materials Market, where artisans and business owners expressed enthusiasm about the opportunities the carnival promises. The sensitization ended at the Old Airport Roundabout after a brief stop at Dadin Kowa Market, rounding off a productive day of outreach.
Speaking during the exercise, the Chairman of the MSME Ecosystem Technical Working Group, Mr. Jackse Le’an Mangtat, explained that the road walk was designed as a simple but effective means of publicizing the forthcoming Business Carnival scheduled to hold from the 2nd to the 6th of December. He noted that the idea was to take the message directly to the people, ensuring that communities within the Jos metropolis fully understand the value and opportunities the event will bring.
During the activity, the GIZ GOPA Business Development Service expert, Manbyen Jessi Daki, granted an interview in which she elaborated on her role and the broader vision behind the initiative. She described her work as one centered on helping MSMEs develop, grow, and strengthen their capabilities. According to her, GIZ does not stop at training entrepreneurs, the organization goes further to support business registration, help MSMEs open accounts with financial institutions of their choice, and link them with key stakeholders across the ecosystem. These key actors, she emphasized, play crucial roles in the sustainability and growth of small businesses.
Manbyen also explained how the idea for the Business Carnival emerged. Stakeholders, she said, sat together and asked how they could support the MSMEs trained through the ICSS programme Inspire, Create, Start, and Scale. The carnival, therefore, was designed to provide these MSMEs with direct access to markets, visibility, and opportunities for growth. She added that the vision now stretches beyond Plateau State, with GIZ and its partners seeking to create market linkages across Nigeria, Africa, and even Europe. The ultimate goal, she said, is to see locally made products from Plateau State on shelves in major supermarkets such as ShopRite and in international markets. “We have moved past the stage of only consuming,” she said. “Now we want to produce and let others consume what we make.”
When asked about the broader benefits of the carnival for Africa, Manbyen described it as an event with immense value. It brings together MSMEs, financial institutions, regulatory bodies, and other key partners in one place, making it a one stop shop for entrepreneurs seeking loans, business registration, or professional support. She explained that the carnival also offers MSMEs a platform to showcase their products, with the added advantage of being trained to meet export standards, an essential step for businesses aiming to compete internationally. In Plateau State, she noted, has an impressive variety of products ready for display, and sometimes, entrepreneurs receive major one-off orders at such events, giving their businesses a significant boost.
The road walk in Jos South, therefore, was not just a routine exercise but a meaningful engagement with the community, a build-up to what promises to be a transformative event for MSME across the state and beyond.
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