Adebayo Adenrele
A Business and leadership consultant, Isaac Ajisafe has said the policies being implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria do not prevent businesses from thriving, but rather the Entrepreneurs’ negligence to innovation, structure and positive mindset.
Ajisafe noted that the impact of regulatory and monetary measures by institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria on business in Nigeria does not amount to external constraints, maintaining that policies exist in every economy and should not be seen as barriers to enterprise.
He stated this in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the Inaugural Edition of Entrepreneurial Growth Summit (EGS) 2026, organised for participants across the country on business training and mentorship programme.
The Convener noted that foreign investors continue to establish and expand businesses in the country, a development which according to him reflects untapped opportunities that local entrepreneurs must begin to harness.
Ajisafe emphasised that entrepreneurship thrives on initiative, structure and principles, arguing that what many describe as a ‘dry environment’, is often a reflection of lack of ideas and strategic planning rather than actual economic limitations.
He said the summit was designed as a 90-day mentorship initiative, combining physical sessions with online engagement to guide participants on how to develop businesses from the ground up using practical and tested principles.
Ajisafe urged the participants and entrepreneurs in the state to adopt a broader outlook, by thinking globally, maintaining that businesses in Ekiti must maintain standards that can attract clients beyond the state.
His words, “The truth of the matter is this, there is no where in the world where there are no policies. As a matter of fact, if you are thinking that one policy will cripple your business, it will eventually cripple the business.
“So everything starts from the mind. So, if a man has a thinking that he can always come out of anything, he will always come out of it. But if you think that you can’t come out of anything, there’s nothing you can do.
“So, I don’t believe that Nigeria is a bad place to do business. I believe that Nigeria is a fertile ground. As a matter of fact, Nigeria is less competitive than many other places in the world. That’s why you see Chinese, Indian, all of them, they keep coming to Nigeria to do business and take our money and run business here, which is good.
“We too will go to that country to run business there. It means that something is there that we ourselves, we are not seeing, that outsiders are seeing and they are tapping into it.
“When you start locally but think globally, people from outside will come to meet you. If we raise our standards, we will reduce dependence on goods and services sourced from elsewhere”.
Speaking with a participant, who also doubles as a Healthcare Consultant, Olabisi Daniel, expressed enthusiasm in the outcome of the training, saying it would upscale and elevate her business to the next level.
