By Lucy Ogalue
Dr Stephen Akintayo, a renowned business strategist and convener Business Growth Conference, has described entrepreneurs as solution providers who must continuously evolve to meet challenges within the Nigerian business environment.
Akintayo said this at the 2025 Business Growth Conference in Abuja, on Saturday.
According to him, while Nigeria remains a difficult terrain for businesses, entrepreneurs must rise to the occasion by innovating and adapting to changing realities.
“Entrepreneurship is about solving problems. When petrol became too expensive, smart entrepreneurs shifted to CNG and vehicle conversion.
“That is what being an entrepreneur is all about, constantly creating solutions,” he said.
He said that while the economic environment was harsh, the responsibility of business owners was to adapt, restructure, and find alternative pathways to thrive.
“The darker the environment, the brighter the light. That is the mindset every entrepreneur must embrace,” Akintayo said.
Akintayo called on the authorities, particularly state governments, to engage more actively with entrepreneurs by organising regular consultative meetings and creating policies that encourage investment.
“I want to see governors sit down with business owners quarterly, listen to their challenges, and develop policies that make it easier for businesses to grow,” he said.
On the need for capacity development, the business strategist emphasised the importance of training and mentorship, noting that most business failures stem from lack of knowledge rather than just poor infrastructure or policy.
“Many founders have not attended training in years, yet the business landscape is changing every day.
Without constant learning, there’s is no growth,” he said.
Also speaking, gender advocate and entrepreneur, Mrs Hansatu Adegbite, reiterated the importance of collaboration, networking and volunteerism in building strong, resilient businesses.
“This conference is not just about survival, it is about growth, partnerships and scaling up to solve bigger problems,” she said.
Adegbite urged young people to take advantage of free resources online and learn from successful individuals in their communities.
“There are free tools everywhere , YouTube, Google, books. Start from where you are and stay aspirational,” she added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference featured sessions on funding, virality, customer growth and leadership.
It had in attendance, speakers from various sectors sharing insights and practical tools for business success.
The Lagos edition of the conference is scheduled to hold from April 19 to April 20.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)