Universitas Andalas KKN Students Advance Digital Village Economy in Nagari Pasar Tapan in Support of SDG 8 and SDG 9

Universitas Andalas students participating in the KKN program have launched a community engagement initiative in Nagari Pasar Tapan, Basa Ampek Balai Tapan District, Pesisir Selatan, through a workshop focused on strengthening village-owned enterprises and local MSMEs through digitalization. The initiative is closely linked to SDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, as it seeks to expand local economic opportunities through digital systems, entrepreneurship support, and stronger village-level economic governance.

The workshop, titled “Digitalization of BUMNag in Mapping Local Potential and Empowering MSMEs in Nagari Pasar Tapan,” became a forum for dialogue and coordination among students, the nagari government, BUMNag management, youth groups, and MSME actors. Those present included the acting wali nagari of Pasar Tapan, the nagari secretary, the head of Karang Taruna, the director of BUMNag, and Universitas Andalas field supervisor Ilham Havifi, M.I.Kom. The activity reflected a collaborative effort to ensure that community service programs respond directly to local needs and development priorities.

Ilham Havifi explained that KKN is not only part of the Kampus Berdampak program promoted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, but also a concrete form of student contribution to development based on local potential. He noted that the program is designed to allow students to learn directly in the community outside campus, with the outcomes recognized as four academic credits within the KKN course. He also emphasized that Nagari Pasar Tapan has strong potential as a center of trade and MSME growth, but still lacks an adequate digital system to support the management of local economic information.

To address this gap, a team of 17 Universitas Andalas students from different study programs designed a work plan built around three main pillars: systematic MSME data collection, the development of an MSME e-catalog repository website, and digital literacy training for local officials and business actors. The digital system was designed by adapting the model of the Integrated Business Service Center, allowing the public to access information about local MSMEs, featured products, ordering contacts, and business locations through a single online platform.

The MSME mapping process was carried out using spreadsheet-based data for each business unit, including business name, type of product, production capacity, and location. The data were then processed by BUMNag together with the students into a village MSME service website, which is planned to be linked directly to the official website of the Nagari Pasar Tapan Government under the Pesisir Selatan Regency administration. Through this platform, the promotion and marketing of local products are expected to become broader, more efficient, and more accountable.

In addition to building the digital system, the students also facilitated training on digital content management, product branding, and the use of social media as a business promotion tool. This effort was intended to improve the digital literacy of MSME actors, who have so far had limited ability to use information technology to expand their market reach and competitiveness. The acting wali nagari of Pasar Tapan stated that the initiative matched the nagari’s need to build a digital database of local potential and strengthen the community’s economic ecosystem, while expressing hope that the system would be used not only for data collection but also as a lasting promotional and business information tool for residents.

Overall, the program demonstrates how Universitas Andalas students are contributing not only academic knowledge, but also practical technology and systems that can support sustainable local development. With support from the community and the nagari government, the initiative is expected to become a replicable model for the digitalization of village economies in other areas, while leaving behind knowledge and technology that remain useful beyond the KKN period.