Tolulope Makinwa-Adeniyi, Muazu Africa, Seek Social Enterprise Legislation in Nigeria

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Tolulope Makinwa-Adeniyi, Founder, Muazu Africa, has renewed the call for Nigeria to establish a legislative framework that formally recognises and supports social enterprises. At the centre of this call is a belief that the people building real solutions across Nigeria, particularly in education, health, climate resilience, and livelihoods, deserve more than applause. They deserve structured support. This demand took centre stage at Muazu Africa’s first-ever Policy Co-Creation Workshop, held in Magodo, Lagos, where Makinwa convened stakeholders across government, the private sector, and the civic space.

The session was not another policy dialogue filled with talking points. It was an intentional, working gathering where participants rolled up their sleeves to begin shaping what could become Nigeria’s first unified policy direction for social enterprises. In her opening remarks, Makinwa reflected on her journey, which began years ago with an invitation into a legislative space not as an insider, but as a curious builder trying to understand how laws are made and why they so often ignore people doing the real work on the ground. That early step led to months of engagement with sitting committees, policy experts, and social entrepreneurs.
Her conclusion was clear: Nigeria’s policy architecture does not account for the Fourth Sector; those operating mission-driven, commercially sustainable businesses that do not fit neatly into “for-profit” or “nonprofit” boxes.
“We are witnessing a democratic deficit,” Makinwa stated. “The people closest to the problem are also closest to the solution, but farthest from the decisions. That is the gap we are trying to close.”

Over the course of the workshop, participants shared lived experiences of operating in a policy vacuum where they are taxed like corporations but excluded from procurement and funding pipelines designed for NGOs. Stories from social enterprises like Iyewo and Mateen Lander made it evident that without legislative reform, the potential of these grassroots-led ventures will continue to be stifled.

Makinwa, an alumna of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, stressed that social enterprise legislation must move beyond theory and into practical frameworks that include tax incentives, procurement access, and legal recognition for hybrid business models. “This isn’t charity reform,” she said. “It’s an economic strategy. It’s about how we build a country that doesn’t just receive aid but designs solutions from within—and backs those solutions with laws.”
She also introduced the concept of the Last Mile Advantage, a belief that communities often considered ‘underserved’ are in fact the dominant players in the impact value chain. These communities are the market, the workforce, the test bed, and the proof point. Yet, they remain invisible in policymaking rooms.

What Muazu Africa has launched is more than a conversation. It is the start of along-term legislative push. Outcomes from the workshop will form the basis of a living policy draft—one that will be refined with stakeholders and eventually presented to national and state policymakers. It will also serve as a benchmark for future advocacy across Africa’s emerging Fourth Sector.