SMEDAN has opened applications for 30 open booth slots at the Nigeria First Fair, the exhibition part of its 2026 National MSME Conference in Lagos. The application closes on Friday, October 23, 2026. Decisions come by October 27.
About the SMEDAN 2026 exhibition (Nigeria First Fair)
The exhibition is called the Nigeria First Fair. SMEDAN also calls it the GROW MSME Marketplace. It’s a market where small businesses put up booths and sell their products straight to the people who come to shop. Entry is free for shoppers. SMEDAN expects about 5,000 visitors a day.
It holds from November 8 to 10, 2026 at the Ecobank Pan African Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Victoria Island, Lagos. A total of 156 businesses will be there, 137 with indoor booths and 19 food vendors outside. SMEDAN says they come from all 36 states and the FCT.
Important dates for the SMEDAN exhibition application
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| Application deadline | Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| Decision from SMEDAN | By October 27, 2026 |
| Fair dates | November 8 to 10, 2026 |
| Venue | Ecobank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos |
Only 30 slots are open to applicants, so don’t leave this for the last day.
Who is eligible to apply for the SMEDAN exhibition booth
- A CAC-registered business.
- At least 2 years of operation behind it.
- A SMEDAN number. The booth page lists SMEDAN registration as a requirement, but the main conference page calls it optional and says it gives you priority. The two don’t match, so register before you apply.
- Your consent to Ecobank onboarding. Ecobank puts every exhibitor on its digital payment platform at the fair. The form asks you to agree to that.
SMEDAN checks the SMEDAN number you enter against its own registration records. Your CAC number and years in business are self-declared on the form. It asks you to double-check them before you submit, so type them carefully.
Not registered with SMEDAN yet? Start at smedan.gov.ng. Do it today, not on October 22.
How to apply for the SMEDAN 2026 exhibition booth
- Open the booth application page: conference.smedan.gov.ng/register/marketplace
- The form takes about 10 minutes. Have your SMEDAN number, CAC number and number of years in business ready before you start.
- Submit. A reference number comes to your email, so keep that email.
- SMEDAN reviews the applications and picks the 30 open slots.
- By October 27, SMEDAN gives its decisions. Approved businesses get onboarded onto Ecobank and are given a booth number.
Questions before you apply? Write to callcenter@smedan.gov.ng. SMEDAN says it replies within 24 hours on working days.
Benefits of exhibiting at the SMEDAN Nigeria First Fair
- Three days of selling face to face to the public.
- Ecobank sets your business up on its digital payment platform on the day. Day 2 also has an Ecobank workshop called Your First Digital Payment Rail, held at the Makers’ Bench.
- The fair runs inside the bigger conference, which has about 90 confirmed speakers and sessions on November 9 and 10.
- Names of approved businesses? SMEDAN says it will announce them closer to the event.
Applying is free. The official pages say nothing about a booth fee after approval, so ask the call centre before you plan your budget.
Only 30 of the 156 booths come through this application
| Group | Booths |
|---|---|
| State nominations | 72 |
| BMO (business membership organisation) nominations | 20 |
| GIZ (reserved) | 15 |
| Open application | 30 |
| Food vendors | 19 |
| Total | 156 |
SMEDAN says this split is proposed and still subject to confirmation.
So a little under one in five booths goes through the open form. The 107 booths in the state, BMO and GIZ groups are nominated separately. You can’t apply for them here. If you belong to a trade association or business group, ask them whether they’re nominating members. It may lead nowhere, but it costs one phone call.
SMEDAN says it picks on business fit and sector balance. It spreads the 30 slots across sectors and states. Be clear about what your business sells and where it’s based.
SMEDAN Zero to 100 pitch competition is a different application
Don’t mix this up with the Zero to 100 pitch. That one is a separate competition with a ₦30 million grant pool: ₦15 million for first place, ₦10 million for second and ₦5 million for third. Applications open October 15 at 10am. The main conference page lists October 22 as the last day. Ten businesses go to the semi-finals.
You apply for it on its own page: conference.smedan.gov.ng/pitch
Other SMEDAN and business opportunities on Apply Times
- Apply for the SMEDAN ₦50,000 Conditional Grant Scheme for Nano Businesses 2026
- Apply for AGRA and SMEDAN Youth in Agribusiness Innovation Contest 2026, ₦17 Million in Cash Prizes
- Apply for the WIMBIZ Impact Investment Grant 2026, ₦6 Million for Female Entrepreneurs
- More grants and programmes in Government Opportunities
