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The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has reaffirmed the importance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to Nigeria’s economy after graduating 80 entrepreneurs from the second cohort of its Innovation Hub Acceleration Programme
The bank said the initiative was designed to equip entrepreneurs with the knowledge, mentorship and business support needed to build sustainable and scalable enterprises
Speaking at the graduation ceremony and Demo Day in Kaduna, DBN’s Capacity Building Manager, Fortune Tamunokuro Granville, said sustainable business growth requires more than access to finance, urging government agencies, investors, development partners and ecosystem players to strengthen support for MSMEs
According to him, participants refined their business models, strengthened their financial and operational capabilities and gained practical insights from industry experts during the programme
“At DBN, we firmly believe that MSMEs are the backbone of the Nigerian economy. This belief underpins our <a href="https://usglobalxpress.com/how-the-us-has-overtaken-chinas-investments-in-africa/” title=”How the US has overtaken China's investments in Africa”>investments in programmes such as the DBN Innovation Hub because sustainable business growth requires knowledge, networks, mentorship, market opportunities and the confidence to scale,” he said
Granville disclosed that the Innovation Hub has supported 80 entrepreneurs from the North-West and North-East through two cohorts in 2026, providing mentorship, exposure and business development support
He said the programme also created a community of innovators committed to solving business challenges, creating jobs and contributing to economic development
“The real measure of success will be what happens after today. It will be seen in the businesses you grow, the customers you serve, the jobs you create and the partnerships you build,” he added
Granville commended the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFund) for supporting the initiative and praised implementation partner Wennovation Hub, as well as facilitators and mentors, for contributing to the programme’s success
Also speaking, the Kaduna State Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Badamasi Yau Barau, encouraged participants to register on SMEDAN’s database to access training, grants and business linkages, while urging them to leverage shared production facilities and digital platforms to expand their businesses
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