Stakeholders from Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Keystone Bank, MasterCard Foundation, and Tripont Academy have urged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to focus on sustainable and impact-driven entrepreneurship growth.
This was said during At the 2025 EDC SMEs conference in Lagos recently, EDC Director, Dr. Nneka Okekearu highlighted the organisation’s focus on sustainable and impact-driven entrepreneurship growth as the conference explores compliance, exports, and tax regulations, offering a platform for entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and collaborate.
While praising Tripoint Academy’s work in empowering over 30,000 women in 10 years, she, however, reiterated that EDC’s partnership with Tripoint Academy to promote inclusive growth and support women entrepreneurs also align with Keystone Bank’s commitment to impact-driven growth and entrepreneurship development.
Country Director of MasterCard Foundation, Rosy Fynn praised EDC’s milestone 18-year conference, highlighting the significant impact of its programmes on the society. She noted that SMEs are the economy’s driving force, facing obstacles like finance, market access, and tools for efficiency, and that MasterCard Foundation partners with EDC to address these challenges, empowering SMEs nationwide through targeted programs.
Fynn emphasised that 2026 should prioritise collaboration over competition, highlighting MasterCard Foundation’s partnership-driven approach. She urged SMEs to leverage platforms like this to showcase products and expand customer bases. ‘Having that hope and resilience, and that right mindset is a key part in ensuring that 2026 is very different and a successful year for many SMEs’, Fynn said.
Keystone Bank’s Executive Director, Nnenna Anyim Okoro emphasised the crucial role SMEs play in Nigeria’s economy and the bank’s comprehensive approach to supporting them. He announced plans to increase the frequency of the SME clinic, providing insights and thought leadership to entrepreneurs, an initiative that addresses SMEs’ needs beyond funding, aiming to equip them with the necessary tools for success.
Founder of Tripoint Travels Academy and Tourism, Shuhda Muhammad praised the initiative and thanked the organisers. Muhammad, who is also the representative of all northern entrepreneurs, emphasised empowering entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria, particularly women, with over 11,000 entrepreneurs supported, 80% of whom are women.
She said that the initiative is an enabler which aims to shift mindsets and promote financial independence, enabling women to overcome barriers and showcase their products and services.
