ACT foundation mobilizes African leaders for 2026 breakfast dialogue on scaling youth enterprises - ITREALMS

The Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation convened its annual flagship conference, the ACT Foundation Breakfast Dialogue (BFD), focusing on closing structural gaps within Africa's youth entrepreneurship landscape, reports ITREALMS.

The high-level virtual gathering, held under the theme "From Skills to Scale: Building the Ecosystems Africa’s Young Enterprises Need to Thrive," assembled cross-sector leaders to address persistent barriers separating skills acquisition, market access, and growth capital.

Rather than relying on isolated interventions, the 2026 edition focused on establishing connected support structures that transition emerging African micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from baseline survival to sustainable commercial scale.

Executive Coach and Founder/CEO of the Gemstone Group, Fela Durotoye, delivered the Keynote Address, outlining operational blueprints for cultivating Africa's next generation of resilient corporate enterprises.

The dialogue featured expert insights from prominent leaders across finance, commerce, and social impact, including Mezuo Nwuneli of Sahel Capital, Dr. Chinyere Almona of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Abiodun Olubitan of Access Bank PLC, Andrew Tarazid-Tarawali representing the Small Foundation, Tochukwu Ezeukwu of Capital As A Force, and Andrew Olowude of Xenet AI.

Sessions were moderated by Chinonso Clark, Lead For Good Africa, and Em Ekong, Urban Inclusion Community Ltd, with corporate communications strategist Omoye Oriaghan, CEO of CO Communications Limited, hosting the event.

A central milestone of the conference was the unveiling of the 2026 Opportunity Compact. The initiative serves as an actionable framework to capture verifiable, binding commitments from government institutions, corporate entities, financial houses, and development agencies aimed at fortifying SME growth infrastructure across the continent.

Free registration for the dialogue remains open via the official event portal.

The Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation continues to address systemic developmental challenges across Africa by strengthening institutional capacity, providing grants, and driving strategic project delivery alongside local and regional social enterprises.

By prioritizing institutional resilience, operational continuity, and donor-ready infrastructure, the grant-making organization invests directly in building sustainable non-profits and ventures equipped for long-term continental impact.