DBN empowers 80 Northern entrepreneurs

The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has strengthened its push to deepen entrepreneurship and stimulate regional economic growth by graduating 80 entrepreneurs from the North-West and North-East under its Innovation Hub Acceleration Programme.

The bank said the initiative is part of its broader strategy to build resilient micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through business development support, mentorship, market access and improved investment readiness.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony and Demo Day in Kaduna on Tuesday, DBN’s Capacity Building Manager, Fortune Tamunokuro Granville, said the programme had, through two cohorts in 2026, equipped entrepreneurs with the skills, networks and confidence needed to build sustainable and scalable businesses.

According to him, participants refined their business models, strengthened their financial and operational capabilities and received practical guidance from industry experts to position their enterprises for growth.

Granville said DBN’s intervention reflects its conviction that strengthening MSMEs requires more than access to finance.

“At DBN, we firmly believe that MSMEs are the backbone of the Nigerian economy. This belief underpins our 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.

He noted that beyond training, the programme had created a pipeline of entrepreneurs capable of driving innovation, creating jobs and contributing to economic development across Northern Nigeria.

“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 called on government agencies, investors, development institutions and private sector players to deepen collaboration in expanding opportunities for MSMEs, stressing that Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem requires sustained partnerships to unlock its full potential.

He also urged the graduates to uphold the programme’s core values of commitment, character, collaboration, change and care as they scale their businesses.

Granville commended the Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFund) for supporting the initiative and praised implementation partner Wennovation Hub, facilitators and mentors for their contributions to the programme’s success.

Also speaking, Kaduna State Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Badamasi Yau Barau, described the programme as a strategic platform connecting entrepreneurs to finance, markets and mentorship.

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