Introduction
Recent years have taught us an uncomfortable truth, and that is that stability can no longer be assumed. What once appeared as temporary disruption has become a permanent feature of the business environment. Shocks no longer settle before the next one arrives, and the time businesses have to recover has become much shorter. In today’s economy, the ability to endure is as important as the ability to grow.
For a long time, entrepreneurs built with the belief that uncertainty moved in cycles, i.e., disruption, adjustment, normalisation. That belief is failing. Decisions taken in distant markets now travel across borders almost instantly, shaping local outcomes in real time. Nigeria is increasingly exposed to these forces as international interest grows, bringing new capital, competition, regulation, and policy pressure. In 2026, entrepreneurship will be less about ambition and more about composure, hence, today’s entrepreneur needs to do the following to strengthen their business:
Re-design the business for uncertainty
For years, many businesses were built on the assumption that difficult periods would pass and conditions would stabilise. That assumption no longer holds. Currency fluctuations, sudden changes in cost of service, policy swings affecting trade or financing, and unpredictable restrictions to access to capital are no longer unexpected or exceptional. They have become a part of the operating environment. A business model that only works when conditions are calm is fragile, no matter how impressive it looks on paper.
