Micro-enterprise acceleration outside of Nigeria’s primary coastal economic hubs received a direct boost as the inaugural Power Move Conference concluded its opening session.
The event, held at the Odilins Event Center, brought together hundreds of early-stage founders, marketplace traders, and young professionals. The turnout completely filled the venue, leaving a large crowd of latecomers to follow the proceedings from designated outdoor screens.
The conference, themed “From Hidden to Unstoppable: Take Your Seat at the Table,” targeted local business development by connecting grassroots traders with direct growth capital.
During the high-stakes “Pitch Your Business Grant” segment, sponsored entirely by retail catering brand Dee Utensils, the judging panel awarded ₦500,000 cash grants each to two promising entrepreneurs. Additionally, five runners-up secured ₦100,000 each in equity-free capital to fund their short-term operational expansions.
Overcoming the Visibility Deficit in Retail Markets
The initiative, organized by convener Sylvia Matlong Mbai, was designed to address a common issue among small businesses in northern Nigeria: the visibility gap. Mbai noted that while many local traders possess the technical skills and capacity needed to scale, their businesses often collapse early due to low market exposure, self-doubt, and a lack of formal business systems.
To address these operational bottlenecks, the conference brought in senior corporate execution experts:
Mrs. Hansatu Adegbite, a leadership development expert, delivered a session on how small businesses can position themselves for maximum impact.
She was joined by the Chief Executive Officer of Dee Utensils, Mrs. Lola Andy, who shared practical strategies for increasing brand visibility. Andy explained that micro-enterprises must use structured marketing plans and clean corporate tracking to move past low-margin neighborhood sales and secure larger, high-value corporate catering and procurement contracts.
Public Policy Alignment and Grassroots Resilience
The event also highlighted strong support from local policymakers. Representing the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs, the Director of Women Affairs, Mrs. Maureen Dakim, emphasized that building confidence and soft-skill capacity is essential to increasing the number of women in leadership positions across the state’s retail and agricultural sectors.
During the “Unscripted Stories” panel, participants listened to firsthand case studies from working founders. Speaker Joy Joseph discussed the delicate logistics of managing household responsibilities while building an independent brand, while Dongvel Aliyu highlighted the clear financial benefits of strong personal branding.
Rounding out the panel, Reyit Diket Plang explained how simple social media tools allowed her to secure deals with larger, high-value supply networks.
