More than 200 women gathered in Lagos to acquire practical skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, and sustainable development at the Women SDG Advocates Conference 2026.
According to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Nigeria is home to more than 41 million micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). However, a significant proportion of these businesses struggle to survive beyond their formative years due to weak financial systems and limited access to markets.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for 2023 indicates that approximately 80 per cent of small businesses cease operations before reaching their fifth year, often as a result of inadequate planning and persistent inflationary pressures.
Organisers said the Women SDG Advocates Conference 2026 was established to address these challenges through targeted training, mentorship, and collective action aimed at strengthening women-led enterprises and leadership capacity.
The conference was hosted by CSR-in-Action Advocacy and the African CleanUp Initiative at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Held under the theme, “Give to Gain: Empowering Women Through Shared Action”, the event explored how coordinated efforts can deliver meaningful and sustainable outcomes for communities across Africa.
Dr. Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Chief Executive Officer of the CSR-in-Action Group, emphasised the critical role of women in development.
“Women are not peripheral to development. They are essential to it,” she said.
“They are drivers of household stability, community resilience, enterprise, agriculture, health, education, innovation, and social transformation.”
Also speaking at the event, Dr. Alexander Akhigbe, Founder of the African CleanUp Initiative, described the conference as the beginning of a broader movement.
“This is not just a conference; it is the beginning of a movement,” he said.
“We are building a platform that will amplify the work of women and ensure their impact is seen, strengthened, and scaled across communities.”
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih, Mrs Kaphayah Olayemi Sarumi, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Sustainable Development Goals and Investment Office (Lagos SDGI), underscored the pivotal role of women in driving sustainable growth and development across Africa.
