In the realm of entrepreneurship, countless individuals have faced the daunting challenge of elevating their businesses from humble beginnings to towering success.
The journey is often fraught with obstacles, from navigating complex regulatory frameworks to accessing markets and achieving export success.
However, amidst these challenges, a beacon of hope has emerged in the form of the Manufacturing Business Accelerator (MBA), a pioneering program founded by the visionary Desola Jimmy-Eboma.
This initiative is revolutionizing the entrepreneurial landscape by providing a supportive ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to overcome hurdles and unlock their full potential.
Through the MBA program, participants embark on a rigorous 90-day journey, acquiring the essential skills and confidence needed to succeed in the competitive world of business. The results are always remarkable, with entrepreneurs experiencing significant sales and revenue growth, export triumphs, and regulatory compliance. The impact of this program is being profoundly felt by entrepreneurs nationwide, as they transform their small beginnings into great enterprises.
At the helm of this initiative is Desola Jimmy-Eboma, the founder of Small-Scale Enterprises Lab (SSE Lab), a business development and empowerment platform dedicated to nurturing and growing micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa.
With a keen focus on practicality, sustainability, and structure, the SSE Lab provides comprehensive support to entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, from idea discovery to full business execution and scaling.
The SSE Lab’s high-impact programs are meticulously designed to be easily digestible, empowering individuals to transform their passions into purpose-driven, income-generating ventures. With a diverse community spanning multiple sectors, including product-based businesses in food, fashion, wellness, and crafts, as well as service-based ventures in education, consulting, creative industries, and digital solutions, the platform’s reach is both broad and profound.
Participants in the program have shared remarkable testimonies of how they have transitioned from humble beginnings to building thriving enterprises.
Adebimpe Jenrola, a preschool teacher and student of the Manufacturers’ Business Academy, joined the program seeking clarity on which business to pursue and how to get it off the ground.
After participating in the five-day challenge with Coach Desola Jimmy-Eboma, Jenrola experienced a profound epiphany, discovering her passion, skills, and expertise. “The classes are engaging, interactive, and packed with activities and assignments that keep you on track,” Jenrola enthused. “I’ve overcome the challenge of not knowing which business to do and carved a niche for myself. Jimmy-Eboma’s mentorship has built my confidence, changed the way I approach business, and helped me believe in my potential.”
Opeyemi Odoh, another participant, shared a similar experience, stating, “When I watched a video my daughter took of me at MBA Business Showers, I couldn’t believe how confidently I spoke. Also, when I opened my mail and saw my NAFDAC approval, I knew God was doing wonders.”
Agbanusi Hope Ogugua, a participant who had hoped to gain clarity on how to begin producing a range of products, expressed her gratitude for the guidance she received. “Your guidance to focus on PAP and explore its potential variants-especially for fitness, babies, and as smoothies-completely opened my eyes. You helped me see possibilities I hadn’t considered, and for that, I am truly grateful.”
Speaking during the MBA Business Shower 3, tagged ‘The Next Frontier,’
Desola Jimmy-Eboma, the founder of SSE Lab, shared the inspiring story of how the initiative began.
Having ventured into small-scale manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jimmy-Eboma achieved remarkable milestones within her first year, including obtaining NAFDAC registration, securing listings in prominent supermarkets, and selling on Amazon. Recognising the potential for others to replicate her success, Jimmy-Eboma founded the SSE Lab to provide soft landing and mentorship to small-scale entrepreneurs.
She said this experience was what she
extended to SSE Lab, trying to let people see that when they have built the right tools, the right resources and have enabling environment, they will thrive because Nigerians already are brilliant with innovative ideas.
“Everything you are seeing today was just by pitching people to say, it’s in you, let’s bring it out.
The SSE Lab’s program is carefully structured to introduce participants to entrepreneurship and product-based business, followed by business concept development, product idea validation, and prototyping. Participants are then guided through regulatory considerations, business planning, marketing, branding, and logistics, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to build sustainable and impactful businesses.
Through the MBA program, entrepreneurs are empowered to turn their ideas into thriving enterprises, creating a ripple effect of economic growth and development. As the SSE Lab continues to nurture and support small-scale entrepreneurs, the future looks bright for these businesses and the communities they serve. With its transformative impact and commitment to excellence, the MBA program is poised to revolutionize the entrepreneurial landscape, one small business at a time.
Also speaking at the event, Charles Odii, director general, CEO Sweden said with over 40 million small businesses in Nigeria, events like the MBA Business Shower show that a Nigeria needs more ideas to boost the MSMEs.
Odii who was represented at the event said collective efforts are needed to drive the change we seek.
“It is our collective efforts. The more we come together, the more we achieve a lot for small businesses in Nigeria. We are always ready to support this event. We will make sure we drive this to excellent position,” he said.
Esther Obiekwe, head, retail & SME banking, NOVA Bank said the country’s economic resilience lies not in oil, but in entrepreneurial diversity, adding that
every time an MSME scales, exports a product, or substitutes an import, we take a step toward self-sufficiency.
“From the local garri processor now exporting to Ghana, to digital artisans serving clients in Europe — small businesses are proof that innovation and resilience can start at the micro level and ripple across the macro economy,” Obiekwe said.
She suggested that to truly redefine the MSME space, there is a need partnerships that work — between government, financial institutions, development partners, and entrepreneurs.
“We must simplify taxation and compliance, strengthen infrastructure and logistics, promote digital adoption and capacity building, encourage MSMEs to formalise, keep records, and build trust through customer service excellence,” Obiekwe suggested.
