{
  "id": 14451909,
  "title": "How Leadway Is Redefining SME Support Through Visibility and Market Access",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/how-leadway-is-redefining-sme-support-through-visibility-and-market",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-14T12:52:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Nairametrics",
    "slug": "nairametrics",
    "url": "https://nairametrics.com/2026/10/14/how-leadway-is-redefining-sme-support-through-visibility-and-market-access/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nigeria's small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) play a significant role in the country's economy, contributing around 50% to its GDP. While access to finance is often seen as crucial for SME growth, visibility, market access, and customer engagement are equally important factors. Leadway, a Nigerian conglomerate, has recognized this and developed a unique approach to supporting SMEs beyond traditional financial solutions.\n\nLeadway Media Dash, an innovative platform launched by the Group, provides emerging businesses with access to their media and advertising assets, enabling them to gain premium visibility that would otherwise be unaffordable. However, Leadway soon realized that visibility alone is not enough for SMEs to thrive. Businesses need opportunities to meet consumers, demonstrate their products, build relationships, and convert awareness into patronage.\n\nTo address this, Leadway introduced the Leadway Lifestyle Fair, a two-day event held on December 27 and 28, 2025, at L'eola Hotel, Maryland, Lagos. The fair brought together SMEs, consumers, families, and young professionals, creating an environment focused on commerce, lifestyle, and community. Participating businesses received exhibition spaces at no cost, allowing them to showcase their products and services directly to potential customers. The fair generated direct sales, consumer feedback, and new business leads for the SMEs involved.\n\nThe success of the first Lifestyle Fair demonstrated the value of moving SME support beyond media exposure into real market interaction. Leadway is taking this approach further with the 2026 edition of the event, scheduled for October 24 and 25 at Systemspecs HQ, Oniru, Lagos. This year's fair, themed \"For the Love of the Naija Lifestyle,\" aims to spotlight more Nigerian SMEs and provide them with additional exhibition opportunities to connect directly with consumers.\n\nLeadway's strategy showcases the importance of leveraging various assets, such as media platforms, networks, physical spaces, and credibility, to empower SMEs. By opening these assets to smaller businesses, Leadway helps reduce barriers that prevent promising enterprises from finding their markets. The Lifestyle Fair has evolved from being just an annual event to a practical expression of Leadway's commitment to creating opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs to be seen, experienced, and patronized.\n\nAs Nigeria's economic future hinges on the growth of SMEs, Leadway's approach serves as a valuable reminder that supporting enterprise is not solely about providing financial assistance. Sometimes, it involves creating platforms, opening doors, and allowing more businesses to step through them.",
  "summary": "For Nigeria’s small and medium-sized businesses, growth is often discussed through the lens of access to finance. Yet, while capital remains critical, the ability to reach customers, build visibility, and access credible marketplaces is just as important to turning a promising business into a sustainable one. The sector’s scale makes that conversation particularly significant. According […] The…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}