The 5th Niger Delta Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Summit ended on Tuesday in Yenagoa with renewed calls for entrepreneurs across the region to embrace innovation, resilience, and strategic growth as the pathway to sustainable prosperity.
Held at PEE’S HUB Event Place, the summit—organised by the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP)—featured keynote presentations, panel sessions, and a hands-on boot camp, all aligned with the theme “Enhancing the Role of MSMEs as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation.” The event brought together founders, industry captains, policymakers, and emerging entrepreneurs to interrogate the rapidly shifting business landscape in the Niger Delta.
Convener of the summit, Mr. Moses Siloko Siasia, in his welcome remarks, urged participants to remain steadfast despite previous failures, noting that global entrepreneurship thrives on persistence and a readiness to adapt.
According to him, “so far, 650 entrepreneurs have been able to access grants through successive editions of the Niger Delta MSME Summit,” a testament to the initiative’s impact in stimulating youth-led enterprise.
Delivering the keynote address, Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri—represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei—challenged young entrepreneurs to be intentional, strategic, and consistent in their business pursuits. He emphasized that the summit provides a fertile platform for acquiring critical business management skills that can shape long-term success.
“Every individual out there is a potential customer. There is no contentment in business. At every level you find yourself, there are other levels to explore,” the governor stated, adding that the government is putting structures in place to train more entrepreneurs who will, in turn, mentor others across the state.
Other speakers, including George Omararo, Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso, Rt. Hon. Tonye Isenah, Josephine Itonyo, and Ayodeji Sotirin, urged participants to embrace technology not as a threat but as a tool for scaling their operations. They maintained that small businesses remain the backbone of national development and advised entrepreneurs to cultivate trust, maintain integrity, and leverage emerging funding opportunities.
One of the major highlights of the summit was an engaging panel session involving young business leaders such as Harriet Edide, Siloko Pereowei Prince, Bruce Lucas, David Osadolor, Ekemini Udo, and Blessing Asokomeh.
The panel dissected the hurdles confronting MSMEs—ranging from regulatory bottlenecks and access to capital to poor infrastructure—and proposed collaborative, ecosystem-driven solutions. Discussions also dwelt on the growing influence of digital commerce and the strategic role of youth-led enterprises in reshaping the regional economy.
Interactive question-and-answer sessions allowed audience members to share experiences, raise industry-specific concerns, and receive guidance from experts.
The boot camp segment of the summit offered practical training on product development, financial modeling, pitch delivery, and marketing strategy. Participants benefited from one-on-one mentoring designed to refine business ideas and strengthen their operational models.
For many attendees, the experience was transformational. Fashion entrepreneur Lawson Ebimene described the summit as “a game changer,” noting that the boot camp helped her restructure her pricing strategy.
Similarly, Livingston Charles, founder of an agro-processing startup, said the panel session exposed him to new market possibilities. “I now understand how to scale responsibly and explore export channels,” he remarked.
Grants worth millions of naira were awarded to selected entrepreneurs who excelled during the summit.
The 5th Niger Delta MSME Summit reaffirmed the region’s growing commitment to nurturing a new crop of business leaders poised to drive innovation, job creation, and economic expansion across the Niger Delta.
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