EDC, Keystone Bank, others champion sustainable growth for Nigerian SMEs

L-R: Executive Director, Keystone Bank, Nnenna Anyim; Director, Enterprise Development Centre, Dr. Nneka Okekearu; Country Director, Nigeria Mastercard Foundation, Rosy Fynn; CEO, Promo prints and President, EDC Alumni Association, Patricia Ojora; and Divisional Head, Business Development, BOI, Obaro Osah; During The EDC2025 SME Conference to Catalyzing The Future and Empowering Small Business, Held In Lagos

Stakeholders from the Entreprise Développement Centre (EDC), Keystone Bank, MasterCard Foundation, and Tripont Academy have urged small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to focus on sustainable and impact-driven entrepreneurship growth.

This was said during the 2025 EDC SMEs conference in Lagos recently, with the theme: “Catalysing the Future: Empowering Small Businesses for Impact and Inclusive Growth”.

Director, Enterprises Development Center (EDC), Dr. Nnenna Okekearu, highlighted the organization’s focus on sustainable and impact-driven entrepreneurship growth as the conference explores compliance, exports, and tax regulations, offering a platform for entrepreneurs to learn, connect, and collaborate.

However, while praising Tripoint Academy’s work in empowering over 30,000 women in 10 years, she reiterated that EDC’s partnership with Tripoint Academy to promote inclusive growth and support women entrepreneurs also aligns with Keystone Bank’s commitment to impact-driven growth and entrepreneurship development.

Thus, during her keynote speech, Country Director of MasterCard Foundation, Rosy Fynn, praised EDC’s milestone 18-year conference, highlighting the significant impact of its programs on society. She noted that SMEs are the economy’s driving force, facing obstacles like finance, market access, and tools for efficiency, and that MasterCard Foundation partners with EDC to address these challenges, empowering SMEs nationwide through targeted programs.

Fynn further emphasized that 2026 should prioritize collaboration over competition, highlighting MasterCard Foundation’s partnership-driven approach. She thereby urges SMEs to leverage platforms like this to showcase products and expand customer bases. “Having that hope and resilience, and that right mindset is a key part in ensuring that 2026 is very different and a successful year for many SMEs,” Fynn said.

Also speaking at the event, Keystone Bank’s Executive Director, Nnenna Anyim Okoro, emphasized the crucial role SMEs play in Nigeria’s economy and the bank’s comprehensive approach to supporting them. Okoro announced plans to increase the frequency of the SME clinic, providing insights and thought leadership to entrepreneurs, an initiative that addresses SMEs’ needs beyond funding, aiming to equip them with the necessary tools for success.

Founder of Tripoint Travels Academy and Tourism and representative of all northern entrepreneurs, Shuhda Muhammad, praised the initiative and thanked the organizers. She emphasized empowering entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria, particularly women, with over 11,000 entrepreneurs supported, 80% of whom are women, as she claims that the initiative is an enabler that aims to shift mindsets and promote financial independence, enabling women to overcome barriers and showcase their products and services.