Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation is set to galvanise cross-sector collaboration towards addressing the structural barriers limiting the growth of young African businesses as it hosts the 2026 edition of its flagship ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue (BFD) today, Tuesday, November 3.
The virtual conference, themed “From Skills to Scale: Building the Ecosystems Africa’s Young Enterprises Need to Thrive,” will bring together prominent leaders from the public, private, financial and social sectors to explore practical solutions to the challenges confronting emerging enterprises across the continent.
At the heart of this year’s Dialogue is the need to bridge the persistent gaps between entrepreneurial skills, access to finance and market opportunities, which often prevent young businesses from transitioning from survival to sustainable growth.
The conference will examine how stakeholders can move beyond fragmented interventions and embrace coordinated, ecosystem-driven approaches that provide young enterprises with the infrastructure, resources and opportunities required to scale.
Renowned Executive Coach and Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Gemstone Group, Fela Durotoye, will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on building the next generation of sustainable African enterprises.
Other distinguished speakers expected at the Dialogue include Mezuo Nwuneli of Sahel Capital; Dr. Chinyere Almona of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Abiodun Olubitan of Access Bank PLC; Andrew Tarazid-Tarawali of Small Foundation; Tochukwu Ezeukwu of Capital As A Force; and Andrew Olowude of Xenet AI.
The sessions will be moderated by Chinonso Clark of Lead For Good Africa and Em Ekong of Urban Inclusion Community Ltd, while Omoye Oriaghan, Chief Executive Officer of CO Communications Limited, will host the event.
A major highlight of the 2026 edition will be the introduction of the 2026 Opportunity Compact, an initiative designed to translate discussions into concrete action by securing measurable commitments from government, corporate, financial and social sector leaders.
The Compact is expected to provide a framework for strengthening the infrastructure and support systems needed to accelerate the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa.
Participation in the virtual conference is free, with interested participants encouraged to register through the Foundation’s website at https://actrustfoundation.org/breakfast-dialogue-2026.
Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation is an award-winning organisation committed to addressing development challenges and related needs across Africa.
Through capacity strengthening, funding and strategic project delivery, the Foundation partners with local and regional nonprofit organisations and social enterprises to promote sustainable development.
Its interventions also focus on strengthening institutional resilience, operational continuity, donor readiness and organisational systems, to build institutions that are not only effective in delivering immediate results but are also equipped for long-term sustainability.
