Of course am Nigerian and yes my company is in Nigeria. Although we're still a small startup company just taking web development, IT and business consulting as well as database management projects, truth is we're a company and we're doing business.
Coming to the main point of my "rant", we've been in business for a few years but we ain't really what we wanted to be yet. Why? Well no thanks to the business environment in Nigeria. Yes, my own Nigeria.
When the first ideas came up, i wanted to startup a software company. The qualifications were there as well as the experience and a few tools. But, i'm not from an extremely rich family so startup capital wasn't much of my friend. Guess you'll ask me "is your family the only source of startup capital?", my answer will be "no of course". "ain't banks there to provide loans?" and i'll scream out Nahhhh! ! !, not in Nigeria.
Guess what can be most painful than loosing your entire investment is drafting down a good business plan, accompany it with a good loan application letter and getting turned down by the big boys, yeah "Nigerian banks".
Banks don't encourage startup, they're too scared to throw a bit of their excess profit into new businesses.
Another option: Microfinance banks, guess they're worse. Ever been to a microfinance bank for a loan of a hundred thousand naira and you're asked to bring a Toyota or Honda car for collateral, well it happened to me.
Hard point: we need business reforms in Nigeria.
Pray it comes soon enough
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