Stakeholders from the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Keystone Bank, MasterCard Foundation, and Tripoint Academy have called on small and medium enterprises in Nigeria to embrace sustainable and impact-driven entrepreneurship as a pathway to strengthening the nation’s business ecosystem.
The call was made during the 2025 EDC SME Conference held recently in Lagos, themed “Catalysing the Future: Empowering Small Businesses for Impact and Inclusive Growth.”
Speaking at the event, Director of EDC, Nneka Okekearu, said the conference addressed key issues such as compliance, exports, and tax regulations while offering entrepreneurs a platform to learn, connect, and collaborate. She reaffirmed EDC’s commitment to promoting inclusive and sustainable business development nationwide and commended Tripoint Academy for empowering over 30,000 women in the past decade. According to her, the academy’s partnership with EDC complements Keystone Bank’s efforts to foster inclusive growth and entrepreneurship among women.
In her keynote address, Country Director of MasterCard Foundation, Rosy Fynn, praised EDC for its 18 years of consistent impact on SMEs across Nigeria. She described small businesses as the engine of the economy but highlighted that they continue to face challenges such as limited access to finance, markets, and digital tools.
Fynn explained that the foundation’s collaboration with EDC is designed to bridge these gaps through targeted programmes that equip entrepreneurs with the skills and resources needed for sustainable success. She also urged entrepreneurs to prioritise collaboration over competition in 2026, saying, “Having that hope, resilience, and the right mindset is a key part of ensuring that 2026 becomes a successful year for many SMEs.”
Keystone Bank’s Executive Director, Nnenna Okoro, reiterated the bank’s commitment to supporting small businesses, describing SMEs as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. She disclosed that the bank plans to increase the frequency of its SME clinic initiative, which offers insights and thought leadership to help entrepreneurs thrive beyond access to finance.
Founder of Tripoint Travels Academy, Shuhda Muhammad, who represented northern entrepreneurs, commended the organisers and reaffirmed her academy’s dedication to empowering business owners in the northern region. She revealed that more than 11,000 entrepreneurs, 80 percent of them women, have benefited from the initiative focused on promoting financial independence and mindset transformation.
Muhammad described the programme as a platform that helps women overcome business barriers, expand market access, and showcase their products and services, further strengthening inclusive growth across Nigeria’s SME sector.
