Broadcasting
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.
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.
Broadcasting
Davido, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Karl Toriola, Others To Be Honoured At The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards In Lagos
Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is excited to announce the Lagos Diaspora Experience 2025, a week-long celebration of African art, culture, innovation, and connection, culminating in the End of the Year Awards & Celebration on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards
This historic occasion marks the first time the world-famous Most Influential 100 Recognition & Awards Ceremony—traditionally held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The week will feature events such as Diaspora Day at the Fela Exhibition (Afrobeat Meets Diaspora), Cultural Heritage Day, and Business Leadership Luncheons, all culminating in the awards celebration.
The evening will honor the Best & Brightest of the Year, recognizing exceptional individuals and institutions whose work has advanced Global African Achievement and Black Excellence across business, government, media, culture, and technology.
Key Recognitions for 2025
– Governor of the Year & City of the Year: His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, honored alongside Lagos as City of the Year for its global leadership in culture, innovation, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
– Her Excellency Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, will be honoured as Minister of the Year for her contribution to the creative economy’s role in nation branding and cultural diplomacy.
– Most Influential Woman of the Year: Olorì Atúwàtse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom
– Most Influential Man of the Year: Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, OANDO
– CEO of the Year: Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria; who will deliver a keynote address, recognized for his transformative leadership and impact on Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy.
Others include; Karl Toriola of MTN as CEO of the year, Uche Pedro of Bella Naija as Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, Ojy Okpe of Artise News as Most Influential News Anchor Of The Year, Stephanie Busari as Media Executive of the Year, Kayode Okikiolu as Pressman of the year, Davido as Artist of the year and several others.
In celebrating this year’s honorees, Michael Ehindero, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, owners of Martell Cognac, who emerged as Brand Of The Year expressed deep appreciation for the brand’s continued global recognition, saying: “It’s a great reward for the team who’s delivered Martell excellently in Nigeria over the years.
“We say thank you to the teams, we say thank you to our consumers and we say thank you to MIPAD.
“Martell has a lot of promising experiences in the years to come in Nigeria and with this we invite you over to Nigeria to experience Detty December”.
The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025 Honorees, alongside past Nigerian honorees who were unable to attend their year of recognition in New York.
“For the first time, we’re bringing our world-famous recognition platform home to celebrate excellence within the Global Africa Family — right here in Lagos,” said Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman of MIPAD. “This is more than an event; it’s a movement uniting the best of us — connecting, collaborating, and working together to change the world.”
Event Details
📍 Lagos, Nigeria
– Friday, Dec 19 – #DettyDec Diaspora Day at Fela Exhibition FREE
– Sunday, Dec 21 – End of Year Recognition & Award Ceremony STRICTLY BY INVITATION
🎟️ RSVP: https://rsvp.oakenevents.com/mipad
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for urgent adoption of advanced digital protections after blocking seven piracy sites amid escalating online threats to Nollywood content.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by Greychapel Legal titled “Clicks, Streams, and Copyright: Who Owns Nollywood’s Digital Future?”, which brought together filmmakers, regulators, entertainment lawyers and media strategists to examine how content ownership and copyright enforcement are being reshaped by the digital age.
Lynda Alphaeus, director and head of the NCC Lagos Office, said the Commission has intensified its efforts to combat piracy across digital channels and is upgrading its operations to meet emerging threats.
According to her, Nigeria’s new Copyright Act was deliberately updated to strengthen creators’ rights amid the explosion of online distribution.
“NCC has worked, and is still working tirelessly to adapt Nigeria’s legal framework to cope with digital distribution challenges. We now have the power to block networks publishing illegal content, and we have already blocked seven websites distributing pirated Nigerian works,” Alphaeus said.
She revealed that the Commission has established a special taskforce known as the STOP Unit to coordinate anti-piracy operations online, alongside new awareness campaigns targeting local markets and schools to educate content creators and the public on copyright obligations.
Alphaeus urged filmmakers and producers to take ownership of their digital safety by deploying available technological protections to safeguard their intellectual property.
She explained that tools such as encryption help prevent unauthorised copying, blockchain technology offers immutable proof of ownership, digital watermarking allows creators to trace illegal uploads, while cloud security and regular offline backups protect creative files before they reach the market.
While noting that copyright in Nigeria does not legally require registration, she stressed that registering one’s work strengthens protection and provides legal presumptions that can be vital in enforcement.
“Whatever you register is presumed to be yours until proven otherwise,” she said, urging creators to invest in copyright knowledge as part of their business strategy.
Other speakers at the webinar reinforced the urgency of protecting Nollywood’s digital assets.
James Omokwe, film director, noted that while streaming platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for visibility and monetisation, they have also opened new vectors for intellectual property theft and unauthorised redistribution.
Solafunmi Laelle, media strategist, added that audience data, which streaming platforms rely heavily on, will increasingly determine leverage and value in film licensing negotiations.
According to her, creators who lose control of their intellectual property, whether through piracy or unfavourable contracts, also lose access to valuable data that could shape their long-term earnings.
Nky Ofeimun, entertainment lawyer, emphasised the need for creators to understand the contractual implications of ownership, platform exclusivity, and reversion rights.
She noted that many filmmakers still underestimate how quickly digital copies can be illegally duplicated or uploaded once control is lost.
The panelists agreed that as Nollywood deepens its digital footprint, piracy will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
They stressed that the industry must respond with equally sophisticated tools, stronger contract negotiation, and improved education around copyright.
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