Entrepreneurs  Urged to Harness Opportunities in Nigeria, Stop Amplifying Challenges

Kayode Tokede

Speakers at the 2025 Production and Manufacturing Business Summit have urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to shift their focus from lamenting challenges to harnessing opportunities, stressing that mindset, execution, and innovation remain the true drivers of business success in the country.

Delivering the keynote address, founder of House of Tara International, Mrs. Tara Fela-Durotoye, warned that amplifying negativity about Nigeria was discouraging growth and undermining the confidence of the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“Doing business here is tough, I won’t deny it. But Nigeria made me who I am today, and it can make you too,” she declared. “If all you ever dwell on is hardship, that’s all you will ever see. We must choose to change the story.”

She explained that while entrepreneurs often discuss unreliable infrastructure, inconsistent policies, and staffing problems, allowing such issues to dominate every narrative creates a climate of hopelessness.

“The story we tell about Nigeria can either attract or repel growth. As entrepreneurs, our role is not only to innovate and employ but also to speak positively about our environment,” she stressed.

Beyond changing narratives, Mrs Fela-Durotoye advised business owners to invest in training, treat suppliers and partners with trust, and ensure proper succession planning across all levels of their companies.

Summit convener and business coach, Nancy Nnadi, popularly known as The Money Boss, also challenged entrepreneurs to stop blaming the government for every obstacle. She insisted that execution, not excuses, remains the secret to business growth.

Adding her voice, Chief Executive Officer of Stuch Beddings and Pyjamas, Clementina Uche Oyekwelu  described Nigeria’s over 200 million population as a vast goldmine waiting to be tapped.

“Even serving just 0.5 per cent of the Nigerian market can make you a household name. If foreign investors can pay millions to rent warehouses here, it shows there is business in this country,” she said.

Recounting her entrepreneurial journey, Mrs Oyekwelu revealed how she started during her National Youth Service Corps year with just N10,000, producing four bedsheets which she sold to neighbours and colleagues. A decade later, her company now employs more than sixty people.

“The power of starting small but thinking big is real. If I had waited for a large amount of capital, this company would not exist today. Start with what you have and grow from there,” she advised.

Founder of August Secrets Limited, Mrs. Toyin Onigbanjo, challenged entrepreneurs to build legacies rather than chase quick profits. She recounted how her business was born from a personal challenge when her son rejected imported baby foods, sparking her mission to prioritise African solutions for African children.