In June 2023, the Netherlands Ambassador for Youth, Education & Work Jurriaan Middelhoff visited Nigeria to launch the Lagos chapter of the Youth Advisory Committee and get acquainted with the many youth-focused programmes the NL funds in Nigeria. And of course, this also had to include a visit to Orange Corners Nigeria.
During an evening discussion with young Orange Corners Nigeria alumni, Jurriaan learnt about the chances and challenges of doing business in Nigeria. As a key regional player and the largest African market, there are plenty of opportunities to turn good ideas into prosperous businesses.
At the same time, while the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) provides opportunity for pre-seed/seeding funding for some entrepreneurs, access to finance remains an impediment to scaling up for many start-ups. Additional challenges mentioned included the difficult business climate, limited government support and sometimes multiple taxes associated with running a startup.
