Grow Enterprise Africa (GEA) has unveiled an eight-week SME Accelerator programme to equip 40 businesses with the skills, networks, market access and capital-readiness support they need to scale sustainably.

The organisation officially launched its 2026 SME Accelerator at The Good House, Lagos. The 40 participating businesses were selected from more than 550 applicants and bring together entrepreneurs from more than 14 Nigerian states.

The accelerator, which is free to participating founders, focuses on five critical areas of business development: people and leadership; legal and governance; marketing and brand visibility; sales and market growth; and finance and capital readiness.

As part of the initiative, participating SMEs will receive business grants, alongside expert-led sessions on finance, sales, marketing, people and legal matters, as well as business clinics and other practical support. Participants will also have opportunities to strengthen their investment readiness, improve their operations and connect with potential sources of finance and new markets.

Founder and Executive Director of GEA, Remi Ademiju, said the programme was designed to bridge the critical gaps limiting the growth of small and medium enterprises.

Ademiju said a thriving SME sector was essential to a prosperous society, noting that entrepreneurs played important roles in job creation, innovation and the strengthening of local economies.

He said, “At GEA, our purpose is to bridge critical growth gaps. Through the SME Accelerator, we are equipping founders with the structure, insight, networks and access to finance and markets needed to scale sustainably and contribute meaningfully to the economy.”

The first cohort is scheduled to run from September 19 to November 6, following applications, selection and interviews conducted between July and August.

Speaking on the sales component of the programme during a webinar, GEA sales facilitator and Director, Corporate Services and Government Relations at Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical Company Limited (BFPCL), Lolia Kienka, said a good product alone was not enough to guarantee business growth.

Kienka, a commercial and corporate strategy leader, leads the programme’s sales module, titled “Revenue Architecture: Commercial Strategy and Market Development for Private and Public Sector Growth.” She brings more than a decade of leadership across the consumer goods, financial services, technology and energy sectors, with previous roles at Nestlé Nigeria, Diageo, Advancly and Cutstruct Technology, including national brand launches at Diageo. Drawing on her experience on both the selling side and the buying side of major organisations, her module shows founders how to sell to consumers, distributors and retailers, and corporate and government institutions, covering route-to-market design, pricing that protects margins and cash flow, and what large buyers require before they commit to an order.

Kienka said many entrepreneurs were not short of ambition or good products, but lacked a repeatable sales process capable of consistently converting prospects into customers.

She said the programme would help founders understand whom to target, how to pursue prospective customers and what should happen at each stage of the sales process.

According to her, entrepreneurs need structure, not motivation alone, if they are to build businesses capable of sustainable growth.

GEA said its existing portfolio comprised 40 active Nigerian SMEs across more than 12 sectors and more than 14 states, with 17 of the businesses generating more than ₦10 million in annual revenue.

The organisation said 55 per cent of the businesses had raised external capital, while 72 per cent were at the growth stage.

It added that 83 per cent of the businesses in its portfolio were seeking grant capital, reflecting the need for alternative funding sources to support expansion.

GEA said partners could participate by joining the cohort, committing to a segment of its portfolio, undertaking a 30-day diligence sprint or taking part in partner roundtables.

The organisation said the initiative was aimed at helping African entrepreneurs overcome barriers to capital, market access and operational capacity, while building businesses capable of creating jobs and contributing to economic growth.