Author: Tito Philips
Tito Philips
Hi! My name is Tito Philips, an unusual Nigerian that is MAD – Making A Difference. I'm the Chief Community Leader here and this is where we raise the bar of entrepreneurship. We are a TRIBE of Unusual Entrepreneurs, we are not your every day entrepreneurs who go into business to put food on the table and pay bills. For us, business is more than making ends meet [survival]. It is our means of doing what we love [passion], changing the world [purpose] and being financially rewarded for it [profit]™. Want to become ONE of us?
Federal, state, corporate, foundation, development partner and accelerator programmes Nigerian small businesses can actually apply for this year — with amounts, deadlines and a free matching tool. Verified May 2026. If you run a small business in Nigeria, you have heard the same complaint repeated for a decade: funding is the single biggest constraint on growth. What gets said less often is that the funding is there — in fact, in 2026 there is more of it than ever — but most Nigerian SMEs apply to the wrong programmes, miss the right deadlines, or simply never know the programmes exist.…
A weaker currency and a continent-wide free trade area have quietly created one of the biggest growth opportunities Nigerian SMEs have seen in years. Here’s how to take your first formal step abroad. Two forces have come together to make exporting unusually attractive for Nigerian small businesses in 2026. The first is the weak naira: the same currency weakness that raises your import costs makes anything you sell abroad cheaper and more competitive in foreign markets. The second is the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which opens up a continent-wide market with reduced trade barriers between African countries. For…
On top of the rules that apply to every business, your industry almost certainly has its own regulator. Get the registration right and you unlock serious clients; get it wrong and you risk seizures, recalls or shutdown. Every business in Nigeria deals with tax, CAC and the other broad rules covered in this series. But depending on what you actually do, there is usually a second layer: a sector regulator with its own registration, standards and approvals. If you make something people eat, broadcast on, or rely on for safety, that extra layer is not optional — and treating it…
LAGOS, Nigeria – May 1st, 2026 – In a major push to formalize Nigeria’s fragmented business ecosystem, SBP Ventures has officially opened applications for the inaugural Small Business Innovation Challenge (SBIC), a live, high-stakes television series designed to bridge the gap between grassroots entrepreneurs and institutional capital. The overall winner will walk away with a ₦20,000,000 Grand Prize. Unlike standard pitch competitions, SBIC is structured as market infrastructure, combining a rigorous capacity-building bootcamp with a televised arena format. The initiative responds to proprietary data from SBP Ventures’ active business community, which reveals that over 82% of surveyed SMEs struggle with…
In a recent LinkedIn conversation, the founder/CEO of ACR Global; Funmilola Adedeji-Bajulaiye in one of her CEO Drawing Board posts asked me to respond to the post quoted below; “How can we get Nigerian Brand Owners to dream bigger?” First, let me say this: the question itself is revolutionary. Because what you’re really asking is, “How do we move naijapreneurs from trading to building institutions?” Most Nigerian entrepreneurs are trapped in a survival-minimalist mindset. Revenue and margin feel safe. Locations and investment metrics feel risky—because they require trusting other people (franchisees, multi-unit owners, investors). But until a brand owner dreams…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. Small Business It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
If your business is tech-enabled and relatively young, there’s a formal status you can apply for that opens doors most founders never knock on. Here’s what the startup label is and whether you qualify. Not every policy in 2026 is about compliance and cost. The Nigeria Startup Act exists specifically to support young, technology-driven companies — and for the right business, it is an opportunity rather than an obligation. At its heart is a startup “label”: an official status that, once granted, unlocks a set of benefits designed to help innovative companies grow. What the label can unlock A labelled…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
In a bold move to accelerate the growth of small businesses across Nigeria, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the 2026 National MSME Awards with a ₦1 billion grant initiative targeting 100 outstanding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide. The funding, part of the ongoing MSME Clinics Initiative, will be disbursed through the National MSME Awards, a flagship program designed to recognize, reward, and scale high-impact Nigerian businesses contributing to economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Applications officially opened on April 7, 2026, and will close on May 7, 2026, giving entrepreneurs a one-month window to submit their…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
If your business stores a single customer’s phone number, the Nigeria Data Protection Act applies to you. The regulator is now actively enforcing it, and the penalties are tied to your revenue. Of all the policies covered in this series, this is the one most small businesses do not realise applies to them. The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, enforced by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), governs how any organisation collects, stores and uses personal data. And “personal data” is broad: customer names, phone numbers, email addresses, payment details, employee records. If you keep any of that — and…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of Nigerian entrepreneurship, accessible…
Behind the scenes, Nigeria’s banks and insurers are being forced to raise huge amounts of capital. The mergers and tighter lending that follow will touch your business — usually without anyone telling you directly. In 2024 the CBN ordered banks to dramatically increase their minimum capital, with a deadline of March 2026 — ₦500 billion for international banks, ₦200 billion for national banks and ₦50 billion for regional banks. Separately, the 2025 Insurance Industry Reform Act raised the capital floors for insurers. These are enormous sums, and meeting them has triggered a wave of capital raises, mergers and acquisitions across…
Introducing MINE 1000: The Largest Profiling of Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs (MINE) Nigeria’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of its greatest untapped national assets. Across cities, campuses, and communities, millions of small business owners are quietly building, innovating, and creating value—often without recognition, documentation, or visibility. MINE 1000 (Made In Nigeria Entrepreneurs 1000) is a bold national initiative by naijapreneur.com to change that. It is the largest annual profiling of Small Business Owners in Nigeria, capturing 1,000 real entrepreneurial stories from across the country—documenting their journeys, struggles, breakthroughs, and impact. This project is designed to become a permanent digital archive of…
With the CBN’s benchmark rate at 26.5%, ordinary bank loans can quietly destroy a thin-margin business. The good news: for most small businesses, the commercial bank is the wrong place to look first. Every few weeks, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee meets and sets the Monetary Policy Rate — the benchmark that influences what every bank charges to lend. As of May 2026, that rate is 26.5%, after a small cut earlier in the year. Headline inflation was running at around 15.7% in April. For a small business owner, the abstract percentages translate into a very concrete…