ITF, NECA Equip 30 Entrepreneurs with Storytelling Skills to Strengthen Business Growth and Economic Impact

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) have trained 30 Nigerian entrepreneurs in business storytelling, positioning and value communication as part of an eight-week skills development programme designed to help small businesses attract customers, access funding and communicate their contribution to the economy.

The programme, delivered in partnership with M-Search Creative Hub and M-Search Media, was developed in response to a common challenge among entrepreneurs: having viable products and services but struggling to communicate their value effectively to customers, clients and potential investors.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Abuja, Executive Director of M-Search Creative Hub and M-Search Media, Zainab Salami, said the programme was created to help entrepreneurs move beyond simply running their businesses to understanding how to communicate the value and impact of what they are building.

According to Salami, the organisers received 100 applications for the programme but selected 30 participants to ensure a focused and practical learning experience.

“We wanted to make sure that they were able to position themselves, talk about their value and talk about how they are creating impact for the economy,” she said.

The eight-week programme combined storytelling, business positioning and financial education, giving participants practical frameworks for communicating their entrepreneurial journeys and demonstrating the value created by their businesses.

Mentors from Nigeria, the United Kingdom and South Africa contributed to the programme, providing participants with practical approaches to storytelling and business communication. Finance experts also supported the programme by helping entrepreneurs understand the relationship between profitability, sustainable business growth and broader economic value.

The organisers said the programme recognised that strong storytelling is increasingly important to business growth, particularly for entrepreneurs seeking to differentiate their ventures, build credibility, attract customers and position themselves for investment.

Representing the ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Programme (TSDP), Training Manager at the ITF Modern Skills Training Centre, Abuja, Hayatu Abubakar Tamgol, said the initiative aligned with the broader objective of developing a skilled Nigerian workforce capable of contributing to economic growth.

He explained that ITF’s mandate includes encouraging skills acquisition within Nigeria’s industrial and commercial sectors and developing indigenous manpower capable of meeting the needs of the economy.

Tamgol also commended the participants for demonstrating the knowledge acquired during the programme, describing the outcomes as evidence that learning had taken place.

The ITF-NECA Technical Skills Development Project is a joint initiative focused on providing Nigerians with relevant technical, vocational, employability and entrepreneurship skills. The programme identifies skills development as an important pathway to employment, entrepreneurship and national economic development.

For the 30 entrepreneurs who completed the latest programme, the training represents more than the acquisition of communication skills. It provides them with tools to better articulate what they are building, communicate their economic value and position their businesses for sustainable growth.

The organisers expressed confidence that strengthening entrepreneurs’ ability to tell their stories and communicate their value will contribute to greater visibility, stronger market opportunities and improved access to resources for growing businesses.

As Nigeria continues to focus on entrepreneurship, job creation and private-sector growth, initiatives that combine practical business skills with effective communication can play an important role in helping entrepreneurs turn ideas and capabilities into sustainable economic value.