Economy
Seven-Up Boss Gives Strategic Tips For SME Growth
With a wealth of experience spanning over three decades, Ziad Maalouf, Managing Director of Seven-Up Bottling Company (SBC), is undoubtedly someone whom a small enterprise owner would value spending a few minutes with.
Over the weekend, 40 small and medium-sized enterprise owners had the luxury of hours of lectures and interaction with this highly experienced entrepreneur.
This opportunity was made possible through the SMEs Scale-Up Bootcamp, organised by SBC in partnership with Zenith Bank and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
After running his business and working with multinational companies in Asia, Ziad has dedicated over 17 years to working in Nigeria with SBC. He admires the spirit and business acumen of Nigerian entrepreneurs, and he believes in the importance of fostering the growth of this vital sector in the Nigerian economy by empowering entrepreneurs to scale. Participants at the bootcamp were enthusiastic about his depth of knowledge and found his practical and engaging presentation inspiring.
Here is a summary of scaling tips for budding entrepreneurs provided by Ziad:
Identify your ‘sweet spot’: A sweet spot is a combination of three things that every entrepreneur must get right. According to Ziad, not every idea will scale up. Ideas with the potential for scaling are those that harmonise your experience, passion, and address a genuine need in the world (or have the potential to do so). Ziad advised entrepreneurs that if their current business fails to encompass all three aspects, a reconsideration is necessary. “You might just be in the wrong business,” he emphasised.
Avoid look-alike recruitment: When Ziad mentioned this, almost all the entrepreneurs in the room felt guilty. It’s one of the traps several entrepreneurs fall into. He recommended the SABI (Strive, Accountability, Bonding and Innovation) formula for entrepreneurs when recruiting and task allocation. He said, as innovators, entrepreneurs should scout for talents and skills they lack in others.
Network: Ziad emphasises that startups often overlook the importance of networking. He asserts, “Your business won’t scale up until you elevate your relationships.” Additionally, he underscores the significance of a robust network in times of crisis, stating, “If you are scaling up, you need to be prepared for crises, as they will inevitably confront you, especially as a big company.”
Increase willingness to pay: This is tied to creating value that will make the customer want to pay more for your product or service. Ziad said businesses willing to scale must provide functional, social, and emotional value. “What many entrepreneurs don’t know is that customers are willing to pay more if you offer the value. This is what gives an edge over a competitor. When you have the value that the world needs, customers will neglect other products for yours.”
Distinguish cash and profit: According to Ziad, this is a part that has killed millions of SMEs. “Profit is not cash. Cash tells you how well your business is doing financially. It shows you how much you earned in a period, not how much you have left. A profitable business can run into trouble if it does not have cash. Cash is the oxygen of the business. Lose it and you are gone,” he said.
Teamwork: Ziad acknowledged that entrepreneurs want to be involved in every aspect, but warned that it’s a pitfall to avoid. He advised that a passionate leader of a business should build a team and delegate work. “Spend more time on ideas to grow the business rather than stalling the growth by trying to micromanage,” he said.
Know when to take a loan: For growth and expansion, he said there is usually a need for a loan if your savings can’t cover the capital needed. “When I hear people say I run a debt-free company, I smile. It sounds stupid to me. For instance, I don’t see why you should not take a loan of N100m at 25% interest rate a year if it will yield you a profit of N200m in two years. Another thing to note is to be honest with the banks when taking loans. Of the five Cs of lending (Character, Capacity, Condition, Capacity and Collateral), character is very key to accessing loans. Yes, we want to paint good pictures to impress the banks, but they also look at your sincerity and honesty while presenting your plan,” he said.
Adopt artificial intelligence: Ziad also advised entrepreneurs to adopt technology that will boost their productivity, efficiency, and quality of products and services. This, he said, is key to scaling in today’s business world.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom via the British High Commission in Abuja has launched two flagship economic reform programmes – the Nigeria Economic Stability & Transformation (NEST) programme and the Nigeria Public Finance Facility (NPFF) -as part of efforts to support Nigeria’s economic reform and growth agenda.
Backed by a £12.4 million UK investment, NEST and NPFF sit at the centre of the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership and support Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve fiscal resilience, and create a more competitive environment for investment and private-sector growth.
Speaking at the launch, Cynthia Rowe, Head of Development Cooperation at the British High Commission in Abuja, said, “These two programmes sit at the heart of our economic development cooperation with Nigeria. They reflect a shared commitment to strengthening the fundamentals that matter most for our stability, confidence, and long-term growth.”
The launch followed the inaugural meeting of the Joint UK-Nigeria Steering Committee, which endorsed the approach of both programmes and confirmed strong alignment between the UK and Nigeria on priority areas for delivery.
Representing the Government of Nigeria, Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Finance and the Economy, Mrs Sanyade Okoli, welcomed the collaboration, touting it as crucial to current, critical reforms.
“We welcome the United Kingdom’s support through these new programmes as a strong demonstration of our shared commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and long-term prosperity. At a time when we are implementing critical reforms to strengthen fiscal resilience, improve macroeconomic stability, and unlock inclusive growth, this partnership will provide valuable technical support. Together, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient economy that delivers sustainable development and improved livelihoods for all Nigerians.”
On his part, Mr Jonny Baxter, British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, highlighted the significance of the programmes within the wider UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.
“NEST and NPFF are central to our shared approach to strengthening the foundations that underpin long-term economic prosperity. They sit firmly within the UK-Nigeria mutual growth partnership.”
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the growth, digital capacity, and sustainability of Nigeria’s 40 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has been signed by MTN Nigeria and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The collaboration will feature joint initiatives focused on digital inclusion, financial access, capacity building, and providing verified information for MSMEs.
With millions of small businesses depending on accurate guidance and easy-to-access support, MTN and SMEDAN say their shared platform will address gaps in communication, misinformation, and access to opportunities.
At the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday, November 27, 2025, in Lagos, the stage was set for the immediate roll-out of tools, content, and resources that will support MSMEs nationwide.
The chief operating officer of MTN Nigeria, Mr Ayham Moussa, reiterated the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic development, stating that MSMEs are the lifeline of Nigeria’s economy.
“SMEs are the backbone of the economy and the backbone of employment in Nigeria. We are delighted to power SMEDAN’s platform and provide tools that help MSMEs reach customers, obtain funding, and access wider markets. This collaboration serves both our business and social development objectives,” he stated.
Also, the Chief Enterprise Business Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ms Lynda Saint-Nwafor, described the MoU as a tool to “meet SMEs at the point of their needs,” noting that nano, micro, small, and medium businesses each require different resources to scale.
“Some SMEs need guidance, some need resources; others need opportunities or workforce support. This platform allows them to access whatever they need. We are committed to identifying opportunities across financial inclusion, digital inclusion, and capacity building that help SMEs to scale,” she noted.
Also commenting, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, emphasised the significance of the collaboration, noting that the agency cannot meet its mandate without leveraging technology and private-sector expertise.
“We have approximately 40 million MSMEs in Nigeria, and only about 400 SMEDAN staff. We cannot fulfil our mandate without technology, data, and strong partners.
“MTN already has the infrastructure and tools to support MSMEs from payments to identity, hosting, learning, and more. With this partnership, we are confident we can achieve in a short time what would have taken years,” he disclosed.
Mr Odii highlighted that the SMEDAN-MTN collaboration would support businesses across their growth needs, guided by their four-point GROW model – Guidance, Resources, Opportunities, and Workforce Development.
He added that SMEDAN has already created over 100,000 jobs within its two-year administration and expects the partnership to significantly boost job creation, business expansion, and nationwide enterprise modernisation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited is seeking review of the controversial Capital Gains Tax increase, fearing it will chase away foreign investors from the country’s capital market.
Nigeria’s new tax regime, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, represents one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s tax system in recent years.
Under the new rules, the flat 10 per cent Capital Gains Tax rate has been replaced by progressive income tax rates ranging from zero to 30 per cent, depending on an investor’s overall income or profit level while large corporate investors will see the top rate reduced to 25 per cent as part of a wider corporate tax reform.
The chief executive of NGX, Mr Jude Chiemeka, said in a Bloomberg interview in Kigali, Rwanda that there should be a “removal of the capital gains tax completely, or perhaps deferring it for five years.”
According to him, Nigeria, having a higher Capital Gains Tax, will make investors redirect asset allocation to frontier markets and “countries that have less tax.”
“From a capital flow perspective, we should be concerned because all these international portfolio managers that invest across frontier markets will certainly go to where the cost of investing is not so burdensome,” the CEO said, as per Bloomberg. “That is really the angle one will look at it from.”
Meanwhile, the policy has been defended by the chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, who noted that the new tax will make investing in the capital market more attractive by reducing risks, promoting fairness, and simplifying compliance.
He noted that the framework allows investors to deduct legitimate costs such as brokerage fees, regulatory charges, realised capital losses, margin interest, and foreign exchange losses directly tied to investments, thereby ensuring that they are not taxed when operating at a loss.
Mr Oyedele also said the reforms introduced a more inclusive approach to taxation by exempting several categories of investors and transactions.
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