Charles Odii is a distinguished author and expert in entrepreneurship development, currently serving as the CEO/Director General of Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN). Honored with the Sun Newspaper’s Public Service Award, he has significantly impacted Nigeria’s SME sector, which includes approximately 40 million businesses.

Charles founded SME100Africa, Africa’s 25 Under 25 Award, and the Africa Small Business Summit. In his initial months at SMEDAN, he spearheaded initiatives that created 15,000 jobs and secured over 10 billion naira in SME funding, promoting rural industrialization and poverty alleviation.

An alumnus of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program, Charles is also a certified Business Development Service Provider, a mentor for the U.S. Young African Leaders Initiative, and an entrepreneurial coach. Passionate about women’s entrepreneurship, he was named in Exquisite Magazine’s 2024 list of influential leaders. He holds a Master’s from Pan Atlantic University and a Bachelor’s in Management and Information Systems from Covenant University.