I have always dream of owning a business brand when I was growing up. However, I had no idea just how difficult that aspiration was going to be. But the truth is, entrepreneurship in Nigeria is a far cry from all those glossy success stories one hears.
Nigeria’s economy is a paradox. We are called 'The Giant of Africa', but it sometimes feels like we are a giant staggering in darkness. True, there is growth but it lacks evenness and predictability. Walking around a bustling city in Nigeria you can easily spot new skyscrapers right next to deteriorating roads and drainages which symbolizes what our lives have become.
Now let’s talk about obstacles; they are so many here. If you touch anything related to needing government paper approvals for business startup then you know that you are into something hot. It is not just annoying; Nigerian bureaucracy can also be likened to a dead end most times. For instance, in order to register your business properly, in most cases an officer has to be bribed and this can take months before completion. People who have gone through it call it a never ending maze.
Every day poses a challenge towards using infrastructure. It has gotten to a point that having electricity is so much of a rarity that could be considered as luxury. I have lost count of how many important business meetings and productivity this has disrupted in the past. The internet connection, on the other hand, is virtually paralysed.In such a time when everything seems to work under digital platform, having an unreliable internet line can be compared to running with shoelaces tied together.
Now you must be wondering about government support. The sad reality is that it might as well not even exist. Despite all the rhetoric around nurturing young entrepreneurs, the situation on the ground is very different for small businesses in Nigeria. Policies keep changing at will and sometimes talking to government agencies feels like speaking in tongues.If anything most of us have learned to succeed despite the government not being supportive.
Just one thing is true, Nigerians are tough people. We solve problems out of necessity. Whenever the Government fails us we step up. Need uninterrupted power? We buy generators instead. Unreliable internet? We use more than one service provider.Therefore, it may not be perfect but we survive through this way by innovating and going forward.
As with challenges, there are also possibilities. Our vast population means it has a huge potential as a market. Lack of existing solutions in most areas means the scope for being innovative is wide. I have known people who have built successful businesses in e-commerce, fintech and agritech which were providing services no one else was doing.
The local tech scene is particularly exciting. It is not like the Chinese or Japanese, and we should not pretend to be so. Entrepreneurs from Nigeria are creating homemade models that can only solve uniquely Nigerian problems with strictly Nigerian solutions. Indeed, this innovation includes payment systems that work without internet signals that are always available or phone apps able to navigate through our chaotic address formats.
Nevertheless, becoming an entrepreneur in Nigeria goes beyond having a good idea and working hard at it. There's a need for patience, adaptability and a very strong heart however. You would also be prepared to see things go wrong with your plans or promises being broken or systems failing altogether. Also, you need to be ready to get up and try again after every failure.
Is it all worth it? That is what I keep asking myself. Sometimes difficulties seem to be so high that I think that it would be better if I just filed in and quit. But then again, when I look at our businesses, the problems we are solving, and the lives we have touch, the answer is yes.
Entrepreneurship in Nigeria is not for the weaklings. It is rough, it is frustrating and most of the times feels like you are fighting a lost battle. But rewards are also great. We are not just building businesses, we are building a future one day at a time for ourselves and for our children.
The Nigerian entrepreneurial space is full of mixed emotions and events occurring one after another. It involves seeing and taking advantage of surprises within a chaotic situation while maintaining sanity even when things are completely out of control. This means persistence in situations that challenge our strength as well as having hope that through devotion we can change lives.
Welcome to entrepreneurship – The Nigerian style! It is hard but there are no regrets so far!