Entrepreneur and founder of YBI Group, Yahaya Buhari Ali, has urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to build companies that can function and grow without remaining permanently dependent on their founders.

Ali made the call while speaking at the third Young Entrepreneurs Summit Kaduna, held on Saturday, October 3, 2026, under the theme, “Cigaba (Continuation): Building Businesses That Last.”

Addressing participants at the summit, Ali argued that entrepreneurs should begin thinking about the long-term structure of their businesses much earlier in their development rather than concentrating exclusively on sales, customers and everyday operations.

His presentation centred on the principle of beginning with the end in mind and what he described as the “5 R’s” of building an organisation: Roles, Responsibilities, Rewards, Right People and Right Seats.

According to Ali, the framework can help founders make the transition from personally controlling most aspects of a business to building an organisation with defined structures, capable people and clear accountability.

For many entrepreneurs, he said, the early stages of running a business require the founder to perform several functions simultaneously, including finding customers, making sales, supervising employees, delivering products or services and resolving problems.

During the session, Ali introduced participants to what he described as the 5 R’s of building an organisation: Roles, Responsibilities, Rewards, Right People and Right Seats.

He explained that entrepreneurs who want to build sustainable businesses must gradually define the roles required within the organisation and establish clear responsibilities and expectations for each role.

They must also think intentionally about rewards and incentives, while ensuring they attract the right people and ultimately place those people in the right seats where their strengths and capabilities can best serve the organisation.

The framework, he explained, becomes particularly important as a business grows beyond the stage where the founder can personally supervise every activity.

Another major part of Ali’s presentation focused on the distinction between working in the business and working on the business.

He acknowledged that most entrepreneurs begin by working heavily in their businesses — selling, supervising, delivering, resolving customer issues and performing many of the functions required to keep the company alive.

But he argued that entrepreneurs seeking longevity must gradually create time to work on the business: developing people, improving processes, establishing systems, clarifying strategy and building leadership capacity.

This transition, he said, is essential to creating an organisation that does not remain permanently dependent on its founder.

The discussion closely reflected the summit’s theme, “Cigaba,” meaning continuation or progress, and its emphasis on building businesses that last.

The session received enthusiastic feedback from participants, with one attendee describing the conference as the best educational conference he had ever attended.

Ali’s message also reflects lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey and his current work building YBI Group, where increasing emphasis has been placed on systems, accountability, leadership development and creating businesses capable of operating beyond their founder.

His central message to entrepreneurs was straightforward: starting a business may require you to become its most important worker, but building a business that lasts requires you to eventually build an organisation that is bigger than you.