Capacity-building institutions for Nigerian start-ups
Experts believe that for any entrepreneur to be successful, he or she must build capacity.
In line with this thinking, Start-Up has listed a few institutions where start-up owners can enhance their capacities.
Enterprise Development Centre (EDC)
The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) provides capacity building programmes and a variety of wrap-round services such as advisory services, mentoring, experts-in-residence, network meetings, implementation of organisational plans and access to market and information, which are key challenges facing entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
Lagos State Employment Trust Fund
Apart from its N25 billion to fund SMEs, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) is also building the capacities of operators of small and medium businesses in Lagos state.
LSETF builds the operational, managerial, and financial capacities of businesses by deepening their understanding of the industry at which they operate from the ground levels.
Also, LSETF has partnered with some private sector organisations such as the United Nations to train entrepreneurs at different layers of skills.
Tony Elumelu Foundation
Apart from providing seed capital for small businesses, the Tony Elumelu Foundation is also deepening entrepreneurial capacities entrepreneurs need to scale up their businesses.
Since its establishment in 2010, it has trained and empowered entrepreneurs, promoting an integrated entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives the African entrepreneurship.
Leap Africa
Leap Africa, a non-profit organisation has, over the years, focused on equipping entrepreneurs with the skills to lead ethically while implementing initiatives that transform their communities and organisations as well as contributing to national development.
Through its yearly annual flagship event- the CEO’s, Leap Africa builds the capacity of over 1,000 SMEs for growth and effective leadership.
FATE Foundation
FATE Foundation, a non-profit making organisation, deepens entrepreneurs’ capacity through its various boot- camps programmes for small business operators.
Since inception, FATE has graduated over 5,000 entrepreneurs from its aspiring, emerging and special entrepreneurs’ development programmes and trained over 28,000 Nigerians in its short entrepreneurship certificate courses.
The foundation has also enabled over 60,700 Nigerian youths on the path to entrepreneurship. About 65 percent of its alumni are actively running their businesses and most are beneficiaries of alumni support services.
MBC Africa
MBC Africa is a collaborative platform providing comprehensive business solutions, addressing four key needs of SMEs: access to affordable Business Development Service (BDS), innovation and technology, market development and financing.
Growth Mosaic
Growth Mosaic is a social-purpose business preparing small and growing businesses to access and manage growth investment. It reduces execution risks and improve the viability of clients as investible opportunities.
Gaining management experience in a field or business will be directly applicable for entrepreneurs to manage their own businesses.
Wennovation Hub
Wennovation Hub is the pioneer innovation accelerator in Nigeria, with offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and recently Kaduna, focused on inspiring, empowering and building capacity of African entrepreneurs to solve economic problems by leveraging technology resources and networking.
LCCI Best Unit
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has the Business Education Services and Training (BEST) unit that trains and mentors entrepreneurs all-round.
The LCCI mentoring programme started in 2013, with a view to raising a generation of well-trained, dynamic and young entrepreneurs well equipped to confront ever-changing challenges in business. The programme is for six months and it is an intensive training with testimonies.
Josephine Okojie