By Ifeanyi Abraham, CNN
In 2016, facing the looming threat of layoffs, Nelly Agbogu took a bold leap into entrepreneurship. Launching Nellies Nigeria, a snack business, marked the beginning of her journey.
“At the time, I was aware of a wave of layoffs happening within my company, and I realized it was only a matter of time before I would be affected,” Agbogu recalls. “This served as a wake-up call, it fueled my passion to become my own boss and embark on my entrepreneurial journey,” she said.
As she grew Nellies Nigeria, Lagos-based Agbogu recognized the power of social media in driving business success.
From Nigeria to the world
This led to her creating Naijabrandchick, a platform that she says was designed to “empower and propel Nigerian SMEs towards sustainable growth and dominance through effective use of social media and access to new markets.”
To achieve this, she identified key challenges faced by Nigerian SMEs, including limited access to markets, inadequate business education, and insufficient funding.
To address these challenges, Agbogu launched the Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, a platform connecting SMEs directly with customers.
The trade fair has become a resounding nationwide success attracting thousands of exhibitors yearly since it started in 2018.
“One story I will never forget was that of a widow from Benin who took part in the trade fair and sold products worth millions of naira, enabling her to pay her children’s school fees. It’s heartwarming. We are always oversubscribed because entrepreneurs consistently tell us they achieve sales they have never achieved before in just two days at the fair,” Agbogu said.
Agbogu is heading to London with a contingent of Nigerian entrepreneurs who will take their goods and services to England’s capital city from August 17 to 18. The fair will be held at the Intercontinental O2 hotel and is free to attendees, who must register ahead of time.
“What drives me most is not only the desire to see African products and services gain prominence on the global stage but also to ensure that Nigerian SME owners understand how international trade operates beyond our borders,” she told CNN.
Mandatory Credit: Courtesy Nelly Agbogu via CNN Newsource
Ambitious plans
Agbogu has ambitious goals to replicate the Naijabrandchick model in other countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, the US, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as generate more than $10 million in revenue per event by 2029.
Part of her plan to help African SMEs scale and grow is to offer access to quality business education.
Financial support is another critical area. “The lack of access to funds is perhaps the greatest challenge for Nigerian SMEs,” she notes.
Agbogu is determined that through her work African entrepreneurs will access a global market. “I envision a vibrant future for African entrepreneurship, characterized by innovation, increased global visibility, and significant economic impact,” she says.
