Warri Entrepreneurs Are Fighters in a System That Wasn’t Built for Them

Imagine two young women.

One, in Lagos, just received a ₦2 million grant from a startup accelerator. She’s expanding her fashion business, hiring tailors, and pushing her designs online.

The other, in Warri, just got hit with a tax bill she can’t afford. She runs a hair salon, but no bank will give her a loan, no investor will take her seriously, and the government offers no real support.

Same talent. Same hunger. Different realities.

This is the everyday struggle of entrepreneurship in Warri—not a lack of skill, not a lack of drive, but a system that works against those who dare to dream.

The big question: How does Warri become the kind of city where businesses don’t just survive, but thrive?

The Dream of Entrepreneurship is Dying

For every successful business in Warri, there are hundreds that never make it past the first year.

Why? Not because they lack ideas.

Not because they lack work ethic.

But because everything is against them.

High taxes: Before they even make their first profit, they are taxed out of existence.

No mentorship: They have ideas but no guidance. How do they scale? How do they market? No one is there to show them.

No capital: Banks refuse to give loans. Investors are nowhere to be found. And without money, even the best ideas remain just that—ideas.

The result? Warri’s business dreamers become business dropouts.

Why Warri’s Entrepreneurs Are Struggling

1. The Heavy Burden of Taxation

Many small businesses are taxed like multinational corporations.

Instead of encouraging businesses, taxation is used to drain them before they have a chance to grow.

2. Lack of Financial Support and Business Funding

If you are a young entrepreneur in Warri, good luck getting a loan.

Banks ask for collateral that you don’t have.

Investors ignore you because you’re not in Lagos or Abuja.

Government grants? What grants?

3. No Structured Mentorship or Business Support

Entrepreneurship is more than just hard work. It’s knowing when to scale, when to pivot, and how to manage money.

But where does a young entrepreneur in Warri go for advice?

4. The Gender Gap in Business Opportunities

Mothers and women entrepreneurs face even bigger challenges.

Many struggle with balancing business and family because there is no support for working mothers.

Women-led businesses get less funding and fewer opportunities.

5. Poor Access to the Digital Economy

Business today is digital.

If Warri’s entrepreneurs cannot access online markets, they will always remain local.

No e-commerce training. No digital banking support. No online branding mentorship.

The result? Talented people with world-class potential trapped in a system that won’t let them grow.

How Warri Can Become a Business Powerhouse

The solution is not handouts. Warri’s entrepreneurs don’t need pity.

They need opportunity.

And that means government, private sector, and community leaders must step up.

Here’s how we fix it.

1. Government Grants and Low-Interest Loans for Entrepreneurs

Warri’s local government must create an Entrepreneur Growth Fund—a grant and loan system to support small businesses.

Focus should be on youth-owned and women-led businesses, ensuring they have capital to scale.

Loans should be low-interest, flexible, and accessible.

2. Business Mentorship Programs

Warri needs a structured mentorship network where successful business owners train and guide new entrepreneurs.

This network should include workshops, monthly business meet-ups, and one-on-one mentorship opportunities.

3. Financial Literacy and Business Management Training

Many entrepreneurs fail because they don’t understand how to manage money.

The government should partner with banks and financial experts to offer free business training on:

Budgeting

Scaling a business

Digital payments and e-commerce

4. E-commerce and Digital Business Support

Warri entrepreneurs must be trained on how to sell beyond Warri.

Government should create a local e-commerce platform to showcase and support Warri-based businesses.

Tech hubs should provide free training on digital marketing, online branding, and sales.

5. Support for Women and Mothers in Business

There should be childcare support for working mothers running businesses.

Business grants should have at least 40% allocation for women-owned businesses.

Warri’s women should have access to leadership and entrepreneurship training programs.

How the Warri South Local Government Chairman Can Drive Change

The Warri South Local Government Chairman must lead this revolution.

Here’s how.

1. Establish the Warri Business Growth Fund (WBGF)

A ₦500 million fund dedicated to supporting small and medium businesses in Warri.

Accessible to youth entrepreneurs, women-led businesses, and innovative startups.

Flexible repayment with low interest rates for loans.

2. Create the Warri Business Mentorship Network

Pair successful entrepreneurs with young business owners for one-on-one mentorship.

Monthly business development meet-ups and workshops.

3. Reduce Unfair Taxation for Small Businesses

Introduce a tax break for businesses making less than ₦5 million annually.

Tax holidays for startups in their first two years.

Special incentives for businesses creating jobs in Warri.

4. Launch the Warri Digital Business Program

Training in digital marketing, online sales, and social media branding.

Free website development grants for selected businesses.

Warri Entrepreneurs Marketplace—a government-backed e-commerce platform.

5. Host the Warri Business Summit and Expo

Annual business summit to attract investors to Warri.

A platform for local entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and attract funding.

Business pitch competitions where winners receive seed funding to scale.

Warri’s Business Future is in Our Hands

Entrepreneurs are the heartbeat of Warri.

They are the hustlers, the innovators, the risk-takers.

But without the right support, they will never reach their full potential.

Warri does not lack talent. It lacks systems that support that talent.

The question now is: Will our leaders act?

Will the Warri South Local Government Chairman rise to the occasion?

Will private investors see the potential in Warri’s business ecosystem?

Or will we continue watching brilliant ideas die before they even get a chance to breathe?

The future of Warri’s economy is not in oil—it is in its people.

It is time we invested in them.

Omasanjuwa Ogharandukun

Writer/Blogger

Premium Website Developer in Warri