Ayooluwa Oladimeji highlights Nigeria’s massive SME funding gap, stressing liquidity as key to business expansion and economic growth.
The Acting Executive Director of Commercial Solutions at Zedvance, Ayooluwa Oladimeji, has said that the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria is heavily dependent on access to liquidity, stressing that improved financing remains critical to unlocking business expansion and economic productivity.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Oladimeji identified access to finance as one of the most pressing challenges confronting businesses in Nigeria, particularly within the SME sector.
He emphasized that without adequate liquidity, many business ideas and expansion plans are stalled, limiting their contribution to economic growth.
“Nigeria’s SME growth depends on access to liquidity,” he said, noting that funding remains the backbone of enterprise development.
Oladimeji explained that Zedvance’s expansion into commercial lending was driven by a strategic decision to support growth-stage businesses, building on its longstanding experience in consumer lending.
According to him, the move was influenced by a combination of lending expertise, emerging economic opportunities, and the company’s internal capabilities in technology and risk management.
Over the past 18 months, the firm has recorded significant progress, disbursing close to N100 billion to businesses across various sectors of the economy.
Despite this milestone, he pointed out that the amount represents only a small fraction of the total demand, with Nigeria’s SME financing gap estimated at between N75 trillion and N90 trillion.
Oladimeji highlighted the role of technology in improving lending efficiency, noting that tools such as artificial intelligence are deployed to assess creditworthiness and streamline operations.
He also stressed that fintech firms bring agility and flexibility to the financial services landscape, offering tailored solutions that align with the cash flow realities of businesses.
Beyond financing, he identified key growth sectors including green mobility, agro-processing, and the digital services economy as critical areas for investment and expansion.
Oladimeji maintained that bridging Nigeria’s SME financing gap will require sustained innovation and improved access to funding, emphasizing that liquidity remains essential for driving business growth and strengthening the broader economy.
