The founder and convener of the Small-Scale Enterprises Lab (SSE Lab), Mrs. Desola Jimmy-Eboma, has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s economic future depends on the creativity and resilience of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across the country. Speaking at the MBA Business Shower: Cohort 2 Graduation and Business Showcase in Lagos, themed “Innovation, Inclusion, Impact: Redefining MSMEs in Nigeria’s Economy,” she emphasized that empowering small business owners fuels not only their dreams but also the nation’s long-term prosperity.
Mrs. Jimmy-Eboma explained that the SSE Lab—a business development and empowerment platform for African entrepreneurs—supports MSMEs from idea conception to scaling sustainable ventures. According to her, the Manufacturing Business Accelerator (MBA) programme was designed to equip small-scale entrepreneurs with the knowledge, mentorship, and tools to transform ideas into viable, market-ready businesses.
“In just ninety days, our participants go through discovery, validation, and execution—emerging with products ready for market and businesses ready to thrive,” she said. She added that the Business Showers are more than just graduation ceremonies; they serve as launchpads for innovation, where courage meets opportunity and small beginnings grow into transformative enterprises.
Reinforcing her message, the Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Charles Odii, lauded the initiative as a timely effort to drive MSME growth in the country. Represented by the agency’s South-West Coordinator, Olukayode Shode, Odii urged public and private stakeholders to move beyond words and take collective action in supporting Nigeria’s MSME ecosystem.
Adding to the conversation, Esther Obiekwe, Head of Retail and SME Banking at NOVA Bank, noted that Nigeria’s true economic resilience lies not in oil, but in entrepreneurial diversity. She stressed that every time an MSME scales, exports, or substitutes an import, the nation takes a step toward self-sufficiency. With MSMEs accounting for over 90% of businesses and nearly half of Nigeria’s GDP, Obiekwe concluded that empowering entrepreneurs means creating jobs, sustaining families, and transforming communities.
source: Leadership