The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) is targeting the creation of 100 millionaire entrepreneurs through business development training and financial grants at its GROW Nigerian Conference 2026.

The agency disclosed that the three-day conference will take place from November 8 to 10, 2026, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC), Victoria Island, Lagos, under the theme, “GROW Nigerian: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Policy and Market Access.”

According to SMEDAN, the annual gathering is designed to connect Nigerian small businesses with essential skills, funding opportunities, market access and institutional support. It will bring together entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors and development partners.

The programme will include intensive masterclasses, enterprise funding opportunities and a pitch competition aimed at strengthening participants’ business capabilities, improving access to capital and supporting business expansion.

SMEDAN said selected participants would receive financial grants upon completing the masterclasses. Additional funding will also be available through the Zero to 100 Pitch Competition, which is designed to identify and support promising businesses.

The competition has a N100 million prize pool, with funds scheduled for disbursement during the Lagos conference and at another event in northern Nigeria. The final competition and prize presentations at the Lagos gathering are scheduled for November 10.

SMEDAN Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Charles Odii, said the initiative was developed to tackle practical obstacles that prevent entrepreneurs from transforming their skills and business ideas into viable enterprises.

Odii identified access to funding, business management expertise, effective pricing strategies and customer acquisition as critical requirements for establishing and expanding sustainable businesses.

He explained that the agency’s target of creating 100 millionaires goes beyond providing financial assistance, focusing instead on equipping entrepreneurs with practical business knowledge, funding and valuable connections. These resources are intended to help them build enterprises that support livelihoods and generate employment.

Another major attraction of the conference will be the Nigeria First Fair, a three-day marketplace open to the public. The fair will enable visitors to buy products directly from Nigerian small businesses, explore locally developed brands and engage with entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive of Oando Plc, is expected to deliver the keynote address. He will share insights drawn from his experience building and expanding a Nigerian enterprise.

SOURCE: msmeafricaonline