This past Wednesday, I had the privilege of anchoring a high-impact feedback session for the inaugural grantees of the Godman Akinlabi Enterprise Development Fund (GAEDF)—the brilliant founders who secured our initial NGN 50 Million seeded fund.

We didn’t just gather to celebrate their funding milestones; we rolled up our sleeves to confront the brutal realities of the current market. The session was deeply enlightening as we dissected the practical, day-to-day challenges of running a business in Nigeria today:

📉 Managing creeping inflation and raw material costs

⚡ Navigating power instability

🤝 Sourcing and retaining committed, highly technical talent

But true entrepreneurs do not just highlight problems; they architect solutions. Together, we brainstormed highly practical, on-the-ground strategies to weather these headwinds, optimize operations, and ensure sustainable scaling.

Building a resilient SME ecosystem requires powerful partnerships. A massive thank you to the leaders and institutional partners who joined the grantees and me in the trenches for this strategic session: Taiwo Akinnawo (Project Manager, GAEDF) Dr. Theo Onadeko (Volunteer Director) The proactive representatives from Wema Bank Nigeria,  Emeka Odibeli (PLLI)

As we consolidate these learnings and track the incredible progress of our current cohort, the momentum is officially building. We are laying the groundwork for the 2026 GAEDF Funding Round, where we will identify, fund, and scale the next wave of visionary enterprise awardees.

To my fellow founders and business leaders on this platform: What is the biggest operational challenge your business is actively pivoting to solve this quarter? Let’s share strategies in the comments below. 👇

#SMEFunding #BusinessStrategy #EconomicResilience #GAEDF #WemaBank #Entrepreneurship #NigeriaBusiness #HumanCapital #CoinboxLimited #BusinessTransformation #LagosBusiness