By Jennete Ugo Anya
Zedcrest Group unveiled a new cohort of small and medium enterprise (SME) partners under its ‘A Taste of Nigeria’ initiative aimed at promoting locally produced goods and reducing import dependence.
The 2025/2026 partners include Pedro’s Ogogoro, Loom Chocolate, Lim Lim Foods, Dang, Kokari Coconuts, Tquart Foods, Bature Brewery, Happy Coffee, Dulce’s Jam and MySibi. Participating firms receive bulk purchase support, financing access, visibility and distribution opportunities.
The initiative comes as Nigeria’s import bill reached N46.8 trillion in the first three quarters of 2025.
Head of Brands and Communications, Oyinkansola Adeboye, stated: “SMEs form the backbone of the Nigerian economy, and A Taste of Nigeria is one of the ways we are providing entrepreneurs with the tools, access, and visibility they need to scale their businesses.”
She added: “We are proud to introduce our new cohort of business partners… Beyond this, we have a robust pipeline of activities designed to support SME growth across the country.”
DECISION HIGHLIGHT
A private financial institution is attempting demand-side industrial policy through consumer behaviour engineering.
DECISION MEMO
The initiative addresses a structural gap in Nigeria’s economic architecture, production exists but consumption loyalty does not.
Industrial policy traditionally targets manufacturers through subsidies or credit. Zedcrest targets buyers. By aggregating demand visibility, financing and storytelling, the programme attempts to solve the most persistent barrier facing Nigerian SMEs, market certainty rather than capital scarcity.
The ₦46.8 trillion import figure explains the strategy. Domestic capacity often fails not because products cannot be made but because consumer trust and distribution networks favour foreign substitutes. The initiative converts branding into economic infrastructure.
Bulk purchase commitments are the most consequential component. SMEs typically operate with volatile demand and working capital constraints. Predictable offtake stabilises cash flow more effectively than short-term loans. Financing becomes supportive rather than foundational.
The weekly video series adds behavioural economics to finance. Awareness influences willingness to pay for local goods. The programme therefore combines capital markets logic with narrative positioning.
This is essentially a private-sector import substitution experiment. Instead of tariffs, it uses coordinated purchasing power and reputational signalling.
DATA BOX
Programme Scope
• New cohort: 10 SME brands
• Launched: 2024
Economic Context
• Import bill (Q1–Q3 2025): N46.8tn
• Increase: 17.7% YoY
Support Mechanisms
• Bulk purchasing commitments
• Tailored financing
• Expanded market access
• Brand visibility and media exposure
Zedcrest Services
• Asset management
• Investment banking
• Securities
• Financing solutions
WHO WINS / WHO LOSES
Wins
Local manufacturers gaining predictable demand
Consumers seeking domestic alternatives
Distribution networks tied to local supply chains
Loses
Import-dependent consumer brands
Small traders reliant on foreign product arbitrage
Unstructured informal production lacking quality consistency
POLICY SIGNALS
Private capital increasingly substituting for industrial policy execution.
Consumption behaviour becoming economic development variable.
SME growth linked to market access more than credit access.
INVESTOR SIGNAL
Consumer goods SMEs with brand differentiation gain investability.
Demand aggregation platforms may become scalable financing channels.
Local production ecosystems becoming bankable clusters.
RISK RADAR
Adoption risk
Consumers may revert to imported preferences
Quality risk
Inconsistent standards could erode trust
Scale risk
Demand coordination may not sustain nationwide reach
Macro risk
Currency appreciation could restore import competitiveness
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