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Inventory Finance: The Empowering Ally of Small Businesses in Nigeria
By Abang Emenyi, Head, Growth & Marketing, OnePipe
Amina, a small grocery store owner in bustling Lagos, Nigeria, is the embodiment of resilience. Her store is an essential hub in her local community, a place where neighbours can find everything from essential food items to occasional sweet treats for the children. It’s the place where Amina shares smiles and small talks with her customers while providing them with their daily needs.
However, running a small business like Amina’s is not without its challenges. One of the significant obstacles she faces is securing credit to purchase inventory.
Imagine this: it’s a bright new day, and Amina opens her shop, ready to serve her community. She is greeted by the warm smiles of her customers but also by the hard reality of her half-empty shelves. The market prices have been fluctuating, and her cash flow is strained. This is a predicament that many small business owners like Amina face – maintaining a well-stocked store while grappling with cash flow issues and market unpredictability.
Here enters inventory finance, a financial innovation that serves as a lifeline for entrepreneurs like Amina. This form of credit provides funds for purchasing inventory, acting as a steady bridge over the turbulent waters of cash flow challenges. With inventory finance, Amina can replenish her shelves without straining her finances.
Let’s picture the transformation this brings: Amina, once concerned about her dwindling inventory, now walks into her supplier’s warehouse with confidence. Thanks to a fintech firm offering inventory finance, she can purchase the items her customers need on credit. This makes her store a reliable one-stop-shop in her community. It’s like she has found a magic key that unlocks a door to endless possibilities for her business.
Inventory finance also arms Amina with a shield against the whims of market price fluctuations. As any seasoned business owner will tell you, prices can be as unpredictable as the weather. With inventory finance, Amina can buy more stock when prices are low, protecting her business from sudden price hikes. It’s a strategic move, a way to navigate the choppy waters of the market with a reliable compass.
However, the benefits of inventory finance aren’t confined to Amina alone. A thriving local business means more employment opportunities and more income circulating within the community. It’s akin to a tree planted in the heart of a community; as it grows, its roots spread, and its shade provides comfort to many.
While inventory finance is not a new concept globally, its penetration in many parts of Africa, including Nigeria, has been minimal. But this is changing. In Nigeria, for instance, innovative fintech companies have embraced the challenge, and are working tirelessly to drive the adoption of inventory finance among small business owners. These companies are the bridge connecting Amina and thousands of other business owners to the benefits of inventory finance. They have adapted a solution known globally to fit the unique challenges and opportunities of the Nigerian market, thus redefining the landscape of small business financing in the country.
Inventory finance is more than just a financial tool; it’s a catalyst for change. It’s transforming small businesses, invigorating communities, and reshaping economies. Behind this transformation, fintech companies like OnePipe, with their Pay4Me product on the Growtrade platform are the unsung heroes, championing the cause of small businesses, one loan at a time.
So, the next time you pass by a bustling, well-stocked small shop in Nigeria, remember that behind the abundance, there’s a story of resilience, growth, and innovation. It’s a story where small business owners like Amina are the protagonists, and inventory finance is their empowering ally. This unfolding narrative holds the promise of a more prosperous and inclusive economy where every small business can truly thrive. The journey towards this promising future is underway, with every inventory financed, every shelf stocked, and every small business supported.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
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