Olusi Canvasses Skills Devt for Economic Growth, Reaffirms Support for Artisans

James Emejo in Abuja

Managing Director/Chief Executive, Bank of Industry (BoI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi, has reaffirmed the bank’s unwavering commitment to empowering Nigerian artisans and technicians, which he described as the backbone of inclusive economic growth and future of industrial development.
The BoI chief executive spoke at the Nigerian Artisans Leadership Summit 2025, with the theme, “Unlocking the Inherent Potential of Nigerian Artisans and Technicians” in Abuja.
He said the development finance institution views the country’s over 12 million artisans as key drivers of grassroots enterprise and national transformation.
Represented by BoI Executive Director, Public Sector and Intervention Programmes, Ms Mabel Ndagi, Olusi said the theme goes to the heart of inclusive development – and speaks to a vision of Nigeria, where “talent is not wasted due to lack of support, where enterprise is not stifled by lack of access, and where informal skills are not excluded from formal opportunities”.
According to him, the challenges faced by artisans – such as limited access to affordable finance, lack of research and development, outdated equipment, inadequate training, poor business structures, and minimal export participation required urgent and structured intervention.
To address these systemic issues, he said the bank is anchoring its 2025–2027 Corporate Strategy on six thematic pillars.
These include strengthening Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, promoting youth empowerment and skills development, expanding opportunities within the digital economy, advancing climate resilience and sustainability initiatives, investing in critical infrastructure, and ensuring gender inclusion across all interventions.
He said, “These focus areas are not just bureaucratic categories—they are lenses through which we are reimagining support for artisans and grassroots entrepreneurs.”
The BoI boss further underscored the bank’s mission to provide both financial and advisory support to Nigerian enterprises that sustain local economies and catalyze national growth.
He said, “Our vision as a development finance institution is to transform Nigeria’s industrial landscape by empowering the enterprises that power this nation. At the heart of this vision are artisans and grassroots entrepreneurs like you.”
He stressed that development cannot be outsourced or imported, adding that, “It must be built by hand, by skill, by passion, and by purpose. That is what artisans represent. That is what BOI supports. That is the future we must shape together.”
The Artisan Leadership Summit marked another step in BOI’s broader drive to deepen financial inclusion, promote sustainable livelihoods, and unlock the untapped potential across Nigeria’s informal sector.
The summit brought together leaders of the artisan community, development partners, government representatives, and stakeholders to spotlight the challenges faced by craftsmen, while also charting a new course for their empowerment and integration into the formal economy.