Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) play a critical role in Nigeria’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. They provide training, mentorship, incubation, acceleration, market access, and investment readiness support to SMEs, the backbone of the Nigerian economy.

Yet, despite their importance, many ESOs face systemic challenges:
Inadequate and inconsistent funding
Capacity gaps in programme design and delivery
Limited collaboration across the ecosystem
To address these structural constraints, the Nigerian ESO Collaborative, supported by the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), is convening a Stakeholder Engagement Workshop on the ESO Pool of Funds.

The ESO Pool of Funds is envisioned as a sustainable, blended finance vehicle designed to:

• Provide long-term capital to strengthen ESOs
• Promote collaboration and shared learning
• Deliver catalytic early-stage financing to SMEs
• Support women-led, youth-led, and inclusive enterprises

This workshop will bring together investors, policymakers, ecosystem enablers, and private sector actors to co-create and validate a fund structure that meets the needs of both ESOs and SMEs.
Participants will deliberate on fund structuring, capital mobilisation, governance, transparency, and impact delivery, with the aim of building alignment and securing commitments toward activating the fund.
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Venue: Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos