With resources and networks, entrepreneurs can shine

Evelyn Seltier of Trade Forum talked with 2023 Small Business Champion winner Tolulope Adeola Adebayo of tech start-up Divasity.com, about the challenges of being an entrepreneur in Nigeria, what it means to create a thriving business environment, and plans to address the challenges small businesses face in the agricultural sector. 

Q: What is the entrepreneur scene like in Nigeria?

A: Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and the 6th largest globally, and I’d say it is   a vibrant location for innovation and technology. The economy is well positioned to offer vast opportunities to business in any industry. Setting up a new business in Nigeria is easy and the process is completely remote through the government’s official platform.

However, new businesses do face a series of challenges, including lacking data, an enabling ecosystem that fosters stakeholder engagements, funding, gender equality, infrastructures, and effective policies. These challenges limit the true potential of the Nigerian economy and the ability of entrepreneurs to stay in business. It is our desire to solve this problem: this is why Divasity.com exists.

Q: Tell us more about how and why you created Divasity.

A: I founded Divasity after a few years of working with entrepreneurs, mostly women, who all shared the same problem: having no access to an enabling business environment, resources or funding.

Our story and model developed on the premise that if entrepreneurs could be provided with an enabling environment their success could be easily engineered and guaranteed.

We are driven by a commitment to democratize access to resources and opportunities for entrepreneurs worldwide because we understand that all entrepreneurs can succeed given the right environment. We envisioned a platform where diversity thrives, and dreams find wings.

Q: How do your tools work exactly?

A: Divasity.com is the Entrepreneurs go-to place. It is a dynamic business-to-business-to-client (B2B2C) marketplace for entrepreneurs to start, build and grow their businesses using business development tools that help them ideate, document, and create their products and services, and launch. The platform connects them to customers, partners, investors and the technology they need.

This is what we call an enabling environment needed by entrepreneurs who don’t have the tools, resources or network to achieve their potential. We make the entire process of working on a business easier, fun and rewarding. We’re not just a marketplace; we’re a movement dedicated to championing diversity in entrepreneurship.

Q: You also work on transforming the agricultural sector. What are your plans?

At Divasity, we understand that business development is at the core of any entrepreneur’s success; resources and networks are necessary to help them succeed at their craft, monitor and predict success, as well as reach more customers and partners.

Our project, the “Funding and Readiness to Market Programme” (FARM PRO) is our attempt to focus on one industry at a time. Our goal is to facilitate access to market and funding using an innovative digital platform to empower 10,000+ agripreneurs with training so they can reach over $100 million in global trade and access over $1 million in funding.

In brief, we plan to:

• Develop a digital platform for farmers to access markets, funding, and resourcesImplement precision agriculture techniques using technology
• Provide training and capacity-building programmes for farmers
• Facilitate access to market and logistics solutions

Our virtual business development and training support will last for three months, for min. 100 participants. We will then organize a competition to allow participants to pitch for additional investment. Ultimately, we hope to foster a solid agricultural ecosystem comprised of investors, farmers, processors, marketers, and customers, while engaging policymakers.

Q: If you had three wishes, what would these be?

1. Unlimited funding to support entrepreneurs and small businesses.
2. A seamless regulatory environment that fosters innovation.
3. Universal access to digital literacy, technology, education and support.

Divasity was one of the three winners of the Small Business Champions Initiative 2023, a competition hosted by the World Trade Organization’s Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).