LAGOS, NIGERIA – In a bid to boost the capacity of Enterprise Support Organisations (ESOs) and Business Development Services (BDS), the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) has conducted a three-day intensive training programme designed to empower Nigerian ESOs and BDS providers with the tools and strategies needed to deliver scalable and high-impact business support to social enterprises.

The Assistant Manager, IIF, Ifeoluwa Ogunfuwa disclosed this in a statement dated March 20 in Lagos.

The training, which brought together leaders and programme managers from across Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, focused on equipping participants with practical methodologies to drive sustainable enterprise growth.

Through immersive sessions, industry experts provided deep insights into the Argidius SCALE framework, a globally recognised approach for optimising business support services.

This initiative, funded by the UK International Development of the UK Government in the third phase of the RISA Fund’s Sustainable Systems for Research and Innovation Financing Project (SSRIF III), marks a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s enterprise development landscape, ensuring that business support organisations can effectively improve the quality of their services, reach more entrepreneurs, enhance business sustainability, and drive economic growth.

Participants gained hands-on experience in applying the Argidius SCALE framework to improve business support models, developing sustainable strategies for scaling ESO services, measuring and enhancing impact through evaluation best practices, creating actionable roadmaps for implementing SCALE across diverse business environments and fostering collaboration and peer learning to build a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Speaking on the impact of the training, the Chief Executive Officer, IIF, Etemore Glover, said, “By equipping ESOs and BDS providers with the right tools and frameworks, we are strengthening Nigeria’s entrepreneurial support system.

“This training will not only improve service delivery but also enhance the overall sustainability and scalability of the businesses they support.”

The Programme Manager, Nigeria ESO Collaborative, Ucha Unimke-Ulayi, said, “Through the 20 trained ESOs, we are set to support 100 SMEs over the next nine months, with a strong focus on inclusivity.

“This includes 20 women-led enterprises, 20 businesses led by persons with disabilities, and 20 youth-run ventures, ensuring that impact-driven support reaches those who need it most.”

With the successful completion of this training, IIF remains committed to fostering enterprise growth by ensuring that ESOs and BDS providers are well-positioned to support entrepreneurs effectively.

The Foundation will continue to drive capacity-building initiatives, knowledge-sharing opportunities, and collaborative efforts that unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s impact-driven enterprises.