…says newly launched CEOs Portal app is dedicated to mentorship, partnerships and helping businesses grow beyond their founders

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The Convener of Convergence Africa and lawyer, Patience Olusuyi, has said African businesses need stronger structures, mentorship and strategic partnerships to survive and grow beyond their founders.

Olusuyi said many businesses across Africa are built around individuals instead of systems, making them vulnerable to collapse once the owners are no longer actively involved.

She said the newly introduced CEOs Portal app was created to help entrepreneurs, founders and business owners build sustainable businesses through mentorship, governance support, strategic networking and collaboration across industries.

Speaking at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja, Olusuyi explained that the initiative was inspired by the growing number of African businesses that struggle to survive long term despite having talent, innovation and financial potential.

According to her, many entrepreneurs operate in isolation without access to proper guidance, structures or partnerships that can help their businesses expand sustainably.

She said the platform was designed to bring together founders, investors, executives, mentors and professionals from different sectors to exchange ideas and create systems that would allow businesses to outlive generations.

Olusuyi noted that the app would connect entrepreneurs with experts in sectors such as law, finance, technology, fashion and real estate to help businesses build stronger foundations.

She explained that the initiative was also aimed at helping business owners understand governance, succession planning and institutional culture needed for continuity.

According to her, many African businesses fail because founders often try to control every aspect of operations without creating systems that can function independently.

She added that the platform would encourage entrepreneurs to embrace partnerships, shared ownership and collaboration instead of what she described as “solo struggle.”

Olusuyi further said the organisation would provide accountability systems, consultancy, mentorship and strategic guidance to members through continuous engagement beyond the yearly conference.

She noted that technology and artificial intelligence were becoming important tools for modern business growth, but many African entrepreneurs still lacked access to the knowledge needed to maximise such opportunities.

She said, “Africa is full of brilliant and ambitious founders and CEOs. But we have a problem, which we must accept, is that we do not have structures that can actually enable these businesses to exist beyond the founders.

“What the CEO Portal Limited aims at achieving is creating a platform where CEOs and founders will understand the need to stop building in isolation and embrace strategic partnership with other CEOs and founders.

“We came up with the Convergence Africa to create a platform for founders, executives, mentors to come together to share ideas and then to look deeper into the question of governance and how we can build businesses that can outlive us.”

Olusuyi said the organisation currently has more than 100 SME and MSME members as well as over 50 mentors and investors already registered on the platform.

She explained that membership remained open to entrepreneurs across Nigeria, Africa and other parts of the world, although intending members would undergo screening processes to assess their business vision and long term goals.

According to her, the platform also advises some entrepreneurs whose business ideas may not be sustainable and helps connect them with other opportunities or existing businesses.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The CEOs Portal Limited, Ben Oailkloma, said the initiative was different from regular business conferences because it focused on practical transformation rather than motivational speeches alone.

He said masterclasses were introduced in law, technology, fashion and real estate to provide practical solutions that would help businesses build lasting structures.

He said, “One major thing Africa needs now is structure.

“If our youth are properly educated on how they can harness tech, especially our CEOs, businesses will become more structurally effective.”

Also speaking, Group Chief Executive Officer of Lifestyle Assets Hub Limited, Abioye Oke, described the initiative as necessary for Africa’s economic growth and business development.

He said the platform would continue to expand collaborations across Africa through future engagements and partnerships.

One of the founding members of The CEOs Portal Limited, Mariama Bobo, said one of the reasons she partnered with the organization, is because the platform had helped entrepreneurs gain mentorship, business exposure and strategic connections.

“Most businesses fail or struggle because they are in partnership with people that are not legal agreements or documentation to that partnership,” she said.