...What does a small business really need to survive in Nigeria?
For Leadway, the answer is not publicity alone.
It needs visibility, customers, opportunities, protection and the resilience to survive whatever comes next.
That thinking is at the heart of the Leadway Lifestyle Fair, an initiative that has evolved from a simple visibility intervention into a physical marketplace connecting Nigerian entrepreneurs with potential customers.
The story began in the difficult period following the COVID-19 pandemic, when many small businesses were struggling to recover from lockdowns and the disruption to economic activities.
Leadway responded with the Leadway Media Dash, opening up some of its own media platforms to small businesses that needed visibility.
The idea was straightforward: if these businesses could not afford the kind of exposure needed to reach more people, Leadway could use its existing media assets to help them get noticed.
But as the initiative developed, another question emerged.
What happens after people see the business?
Visibility could create awareness, but awareness does not automatically translate into sales.
That realisation became the bridge between the Media Dash and the Leadway Lifestyle Fair.
At a stakeholders’ engagement held in Lagos on August 27, representatives of Leadway explained how the initiative is being taken a step further by creating a physical meeting point where entrepreneurs can present their products and services directly to consumers.
It is a shift from simply telling people about small businesses to creating an environment where people can actually meet the businesses, experience what they offer and buy from them.
Speaking during the engagement, Motolani Babalola, representing Leadway, highlighted the qualities that continue to define Nigerian entrepreneurs—grit, resilience and creativity.
Her reflection on the journey of a fashion entrepreneur captured the reality behind many small businesses: surviving for years in Nigeria requires more than an idea. It requires the determination to keep going when conditions become difficult.
And that is precisely why Leadway says its support for SMEs is bigger than corporate social responsibility.
Why Leadway Is Betting on SMEs
For the company, there is a direct connection between the health of small businesses and the health of the wider economy.
SMEs provide livelihoods, create jobs and keep economic activity moving across communities.
If they grow, the benefits extend beyond the individual entrepreneur.
That philosophy of shared prosperity formed an important part of the conversation.
Leadway's position is that it cannot operate successfully in isolation from the environment around it. A stronger business ecosystem ultimately creates a stronger economy and a healthier environment for businesses of every size.
Supporting Businesses Before They Become Giants
One of the strongest observations from the engagement was the importance of believing in entrepreneurs while their businesses are still small.
Guest speaker Nancy challenged stakeholders to recognise the potential in businesses at the beginning of their journeys, pointing to the fact that even some of Nigeria's biggest business names started small.
For entrepreneurs battling rising costs, infrastructure challenges and unreliable electricity, simply remaining in business can itself be an achievement.
Their stories, stakeholders noted, deserve to be told—not only when they become major brands, but while they are still building.
The Missing Conversation: How Do SMEs Survive?
Beyond visibility and customers, the engagement also turned attention to an issue that is often overlooked by entrepreneurs: risk management.
A business can spend years building its customer base and assets, only for an unexpected incident to threaten everything.
This is where insurance and pensions become part of the conversation.
Leadway's broader message is that SMEs need to understand how to protect what they are building, rather than focusing only on how to expand it.
The company therefore sees education around insurance, risk management and long-term financial protection as another important part of creating sustainable businesses.
More Than a Fair
The Leadway Lifestyle Fair may look like a marketplace on the surface, but its bigger story is the journey behind it.
It began with an attempt to give small businesses something many could not afford—visibility.
It is now moving towards giving them something even more valuable—access to the market.
With more SMEs expected to participate and a dedicated platform being developed to manage applications and participation, Leadway is positioning the Lifestyle Fair as a continuing platform for Nigerian entrepreneurs.
For the small business owner, the opportunity is simple: get seen, meet customers, tell the story behind the brand and create new possibilities.
And perhaps that is the most important lesson from Leadway's journey so far.
Sometimes, supporting a small business is not about giving it everything.
Sometimes, it is simply about giving the entrepreneur a chance to be seen—and then creating a place where that visibility can become something