The Entrepreneur TV show is an uncommon TV show that offers ordinary Nigerian micro-entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas the opportunity to have access to micro-finance to start-up or aid their existing businesses.
What make the TV show unique is manner in which a minimum of 60 selected budding entrepreneurs present their business ideas before a panel comprising three Judges.
The candidates take turns to present to the panel, as questions are asked based on their business ideas, which include viability, profitability, financial analysis, employment etc. after the gruelling session; they wait for the verdict of the board.
The Board members will have to invest up to N2 million in some of the episodes and up to N1 million in others at their discretion and decide which business is worth to be given the “Funding” and how much.
A total of N15 million are available as prize money but to access the “Fund”, the candidate must convince the members of panel.
The panel include Mrs Adenike Ogunlesi, managing director/ chief executive officer of Ruff N Tumble, an indigenous clothing company that specialises in Children’s cloth. She has strong foundation in entrepreneurship, and has featured in the Africa Open for Business documentary and Frank Nneji, chief executive officer of Associated Bus Company Plc (ABC), a reputable transportation business in Nigeria and West Africa.
An entrepreneur from his university days, whose business wits dates as far back to the 70’s. He has won many awards for his innovative and successful business initiatives such as Fate Model Entrepreneur Award, SuccessDigest Entrepreneur of The Year Award, Travel Personality of the Year Award, Fate Model Entrepreneur Award amongst others.
Others are Dr. Ndidi Nnoli Edozien, founder/president, Growing Businesses Foundation. Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF) is a principal facilitator of Micro Credit to micro entrepreneurs, SME growth advocacy and Sector support and chief Dele Momodu, founder and publisher of Ovation International and also a columnist with THISDAY newspaper. He is well known for his authority on political issues which is published through his column. Ovation is regarded as the biggest and best African Celebrity Magazine printed in London. The magazine is now very popular worldwide.
There is also Dr Doyin Abiola, chairman of Integrated Micro Finance Bank. She has degrees from University of Ibadan, University of Wisconsin and University of New York. She was the managing editor and editor-in-chief Concord Press of Nigeria. She was the first Nigerian female Eisenhower fellow and belongs to the organisation steering committee, Rockefeller Foundation, 21st century leadership honouree member and Mrs. Bunmi Lawson is the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of ACCION Microfinance Bank Limited.  ACCION prides itself as a model microfinance bank with unique, well researched products and services provided to delight its customers.
Others are;Tony Ajero, president Goodword Communications Limited. He left Taijo Wonukabe to be with Standard Trust bank from where he set up Goodword Communications Limited, an integrated marketing communications firm; Bulus Gwashi, managing partner and lead consultant with Koinonia Konsults Ltd, a financial and Management consulting firm, and also the founder of the School of Microfinance & Enterprise Development (SMED), which providesconsultancy services and capacity building support for financial institutions including especially operators and practitioners in the Microfinance sub sector across the country and the sub region. He has worked in the banking industry for 19 years.
He is an accredited trainer by the International Labour Organization (ILO/ITC Turin Italy), and Alumni of LagosBusiness School and INSEAD, France. He has consulted for and conducted several capacity building programmes for the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and many other institutions..