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The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has endorsed efforts to expand the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme in Nigeria, saying structured entrepreneurship training is critical to strengthening small businesses, improving productivity and creating jobs.
The endorsement came as Simply Exponential Consult Limited announced the rollout of the ILO SIYB Train-the-Trainer (ToT) Programme across Lagos and Abuja, aimed at expanding the pool of professionals equipped to provide structured business support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. )
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Founder and Managing Partner of Simply Exponential Consult and ILO-certified Master Trainer, Morounfayo Williams, said the two-week hybrid certification programme would run from September 21 to October 5, 2026, followed by a 30-day implementation and mentoring phase.
She said the programme was designed to build the capacity of professionals who work with entrepreneurs and SMEs, enabling them to deliver practical and standardised entrepreneurship training.
According to Williams, the ILO SIYB programme has been deployed in more than 90 countries and provides practical training packages that help aspiring entrepreneurs develop viable business ideas, start enterprises and improve existing businesses.
The training will cover three core packages: Generate Your Business Idea (GYBI), Start Your Business (SYB) and Improve Your Business (IYB). Participants will also use practical learning tools including business simulation games, role plays, life cards, record-keeping exercises and participant manuals covering business planning, marketing, adult learning and trainer guides.
Williams said participants would not receive certification simply by completing the classroom phase. They would be required to conduct step-down training for entrepreneurs during a 30-day implementation and supervision period, after which their delivery would be observed before final certification.
The programme is targeted at business development service providers, SME desk officers in financial institutions, managers of enterprise development organisations and microfinance institutions, entrepreneurship trainers and other professionals supporting small businesses. The programme fee is N765,000.
Williams said the certification could also improve the international competitiveness of Nigerian trainers, noting that ILO-certified professionals can qualify for entrepreneurship training assignments and tenders in different countries.
She said the practical nature of SIYB was one of its major strengths, as the methodology uses simulations and exercises to teach entrepreneurs areas such as marketing, financial management, record keeping, planning, stock control and productivity.
She also highlighted standardisation as an important feature of the programme, allowing trained facilitators to deliver the methodology consistently across different countries while adapting it to local business environments.
Representing NECA Director-General Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, Director, Social and Labour Affairs/Projects, Adenike Adebayo-Ajala, said the private sector supported initiatives that strengthen small businesses, create jobs and contribute to economic growth.
She stressed the importance of structured business training in areas including costing, record keeping, access to finance and market linkages, particularly as many small businesses continue to struggle with the fundamentals required for survival and growth.
Williams disclosed that more than 5,000 people had been trained in Nigeria under the SIYB framework, with at least four active master trainers currently operating in the country.
The new ToT programme builds on an earlier ILO SIYB training held in Abuja in December 2025, which trained 24 participants from organisations including the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Job Centres, NECA, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria. The training was intended to create a foundation for step-down training and wider national expansion of SIYB.
The initiative is expected to create a multiplier effect by equipping more Nigerian professionals to train entrepreneurs, potentially expanding access to standardised business knowledge and practical support for SMEs across the country.
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Business
NAICOM Initiative Targets MSMEs, Youth and Women to Strengthen Nigeria’s Insurance Sector
The National Insurance Commission has launched an initiative aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s insurance sector, with MSME development, financial literacy, youth engagement and gender inclusion identified as key areas of focus.
The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Ayo Omosehin, disclosed this in his welcome address at the launch of the initiative, which is built around six pillars: advocacy and policy, awareness and education, capacity building, gender inclusion, youth engagement, and MSME and value chain development.
According to Omosehin, the initiative provides a framework for promoting the growth and sustainability of the insurance industry while improving access to insurance for underserved segments of the economy.
He said increasing public awareness and understanding of insurance was critical to improving insurance uptake, as consumers were more likely to adopt insurance products when they understood their value as tools for financial protection and risk management.
Through targeted campaigns, stakeholder education and new communication approaches, the initiative is expected to strengthen insurance awareness and improve financial literacy among Nigerians.
Omosehin also highlighted the importance of capacity building, noting that the competitiveness of Nigeria’s insurance industry would depend significantly on the quality of its workforce.
As technology and customer expectations continue to evolve, he said insurance professionals must acquire new skills and competencies to maintain effective service delivery.
The proposed training and professional development programmes are expected to improve technical expertise, professionalism and performance across the insurance value chain.
The initiative also places emphasis on increasing the participation of women and young people in the insurance industry.
Omosehin said women represent a significant economic force, while young Nigerians would play a critical role in shaping the future of the industry.
He noted that bringing both groups into the mainstream of insurance through tailored products, innovative engagement strategies and career development opportunities could help expand the sector’s customer base and improve its relevance.
The insurance commissioner also identified Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as a major priority under the initiative.
He said MSMEs play an important role in driving employment, innovation and productivity but many businesses continue to operate without adequate insurance protection.
For small businesses, a lack of risk protection can expose business owners to significant financial losses when they face events such as fire, theft, accidents, property damage or other disruptions.
Omosehin said expanding insurance access for MSMEs would help improve business resilience, economic stability and long-term enterprise growth.
The MSME and value-chain component of the initiative could therefore help connect more small businesses with appropriate insurance products while encouraging businesses to better manage risks as they expand.
Business
Katsina Moves to Take Local Crafts to Global Markets, Boost Artisan Businesses
The Katsina State Government is seeking to transform the state’s traditional craftsmanship into a commercially viable creative industry that can create jobs, attract investment and connect local artisans with international markets.
The Director-General of the Building Your Future Ambassadors’ Initiative, Dr Isah Rabe-Kwambarawa, disclosed this at the first media parley on the 2026 Katsina Crafts Festival in Katsina.
Rabe-Kwambarawa, who also chairs the festival’s Committee on Collaboration and External Relations, said the initiative would address some of the challenges limiting the growth of artisan businesses across the state.
He identified limited access to international markets, modern technology, finance and effective product branding as major barriers facing artisans.
According to him, Katsina has significant creative potential, but local artisans need better product packaging, improved quality and stronger market connections to compete with producers from other parts of the world.
“The issue is not that we lack creativity. What we need is to package what we have, improve the quality and connect our artisans with markets beyond Katsina and Nigeria,” he said.
The crafts festival is designed to help move artisans from largely informal activities into a more organised and commercially viable creative economy.
Rabe-Kwambarawa said the programme would focus on capacity building, market exposure, collaboration and access to business opportunities, enabling artisans to improve their products and expand their enterprises.
He added that investment in the creative economy could contribute to economic diversification, job creation and youth empowerment, particularly as governments seek new sources of sustainable economic growth.
He urged the Katsina State Government to continue giving attention to creativity alongside agriculture as strategic sectors for economic diversification.
Rabe-Kwambarawa commended Governor Dikko Radda for supporting MSMEs and entrepreneurship initiatives in the state.
He disclosed that the crafts initiative had been structured under a five-year framework covering 2026 to 2031, with the goal of strengthening artisans, promoting their products and positioning Katsina’s creative industry for wider markets.
The initiative could provide opportunities for small businesses operating across areas such as fashion, leatherwork, textiles, pottery, traditional crafts, design and other creative activities to improve their products and reach new customers.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government was planning a broader creative economy initiative covering the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The programme, coordinated through the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, is expected to commence in October and could complement state-level efforts to support creative entrepreneurs.
The three-day Katsina Crafts Festival will feature orientation and capacity-building activities designed to help artisans improve the quality, packaging and marketability of their products.
Malam Sadiq Abdullahi, National Representative of Katsina State Crafts and Creative Economy, said the initiative had created new prospects for artisans and could help expand the crafts business, create economic opportunities and increase the state’s internally generated revenue.
For local MSMEs, stronger branding, better product quality and access to wider markets could help artisans transition from small-scale production into sustainable businesses capable of competing beyond their immediate communities.
Business
GITEX Launches MINT AFRICA Platform to Drive Financial Innovation and MSME Growth
The Governments and financial-sector regulators have backed a new GITEX platform designed to accelerate financial innovation across Africa and expand opportunities for businesses, investors and technology companies.
The platform, MINT AFRICA by GITEX, was unveiled in Lagos with the support of the Lagos State Government and is scheduled to make its full debut during GITEX NIGERIA Week 2027.
The initiative will bring together governments, regulators, banks, institutional investors, fintech companies and technology firms to address the rapid convergence of finance and technology across the continent.
For micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the platform could create opportunities for improved access to digital financial services, alternative funding channels, digital payments and other technology-driven financial solutions.
The launch comes as technologies such as artificial intelligence, tokenisation, stablecoins, digital identity and programmable money reshape financial services and create new opportunities for businesses operating in Africa’s digital economy.
The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadri Hamzat, said Lagos was selected to host the platform because of its growing commercial and technology ecosystem, including its market size, capital base and entrepreneurial activity.
Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, said Africa needed more platforms that could connect financial innovation with investment and commercial opportunities.
“Africa doesn’t have a shortage of financial innovation. It has a shortage of the conversations that turn innovation into signed deals,” Alake said.
MINT AFRICA will focus on areas including tokenisation and real-world assets, artificial intelligence and intelligent banking, stablecoins and digital currencies, next-generation payments, digital identity, cybersecurity, financial infrastructure, cross-border interoperability, regulatory innovation and capital markets.
The organisers said the platform would help bridge the gap between technological innovation and the capital, infrastructure and regulation required to deploy new financial solutions at scale.
The initiative comes as Africa’s digital payments economy continues to expand, with the market projected to reach $1.5 trillion by 2030, according to figures cited by GITEX.
Despite improvements in financial inclusion, significant gaps remain in access to formal credit, particularly for smaller businesses.
Data cited by the organisers showed that adult account ownership in Nigeria increased from 45.3 per cent in 2021 to 63.3 per cent in 2024, while only 9.1 per cent of adults borrowed through formal financial channels.
The Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr Nurudeen Zauro, said deeper financial-sector participation, greater formalisation of the informal economy and improved access to funding for MSMEs would be essential to Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
For MSMEs, greater access to formal financial services could help businesses move beyond cash-based transactions, establish financial records, access credit and participate more effectively in digital commerce.
Speakers at the event also stressed that Africa’s ability to benefit from emerging financial technologies would depend on the development of reliable infrastructure and effective regulatory frameworks.
The Special Adviser on Technology, Broadband and Innovation to the Lagos State Governor, Engr Ganiyu Oseni, identified connectivity, electricity, digital identity and talent as essential infrastructure for Africa’s digital economy.
The growing use of digital assets also presents regulatory challenges, particularly as transactions increasingly cross national borders.
Tahiru Al Hassan, Head of Oversight and Compliance at the Virtual Assets Department of the Bank of Ghana, said stronger regulatory coordination among African countries would be necessary to prevent fragmented digital-asset markets and support interoperability.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Dr Armstrong Takang, also stressed the need for Nigerians to participate actively in emerging digital-asset markets as technologies such as tokenisation create new ways of owning and investing in assets.
GITEX CEO Trixie LohMirmand said Nigeria’s large fintech ecosystem, market size and technology talent made Lagos a natural location for MINT AFRICA.
The platform is expected to broaden discussions beyond traditional fintech to the wider transformation of money and financial markets through artificial intelligence, tokenisation, programmable finance and increasingly borderless financial systems.
For African MSMEs and fintech startups, the development could provide a platform for connecting with investors, financial institutions, regulators and technology partners as the continent’s financial ecosystem evolves.
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