1) Start with “scale readiness,” not just speed

Before pouring fuel on the fire, make sure the fire is real.

• Provable value: Strong retention and repeat usage beat vanity installs. Track: weekly active users (WAU), 8-week retention, net revenue retention (NRR), payback period.
• Unit economics: Know CAC by channel, blended gross margin, contribution margin after logistics and payment fees, and cash conversion cycle (especially if you hold inventory).
• Operational spine: Document the 5–7 core processes (customer support, fulfillment, refunds, KYC, credit decisions, vendor onboarding, etc.). A simple RACI and SOPs prevent chaos when headcount doubles.
• Security & trust by design: Embed KYC/AML, data protection, and incident response procedures early—especially if you touch payments or customer data.

2) Nail product–market fit for Nigeria’s realities

• Design for patchy infrastructure: Offline flows, SMS/USSD fallbacks, small APK size, low-RAM performance, and resumable uploads.
• Price innovation: Pay-as-you-go, sachet pricing, micro-subscriptions, and agent-assisted payments expand TAM.
• Local distribution: Think reseller/agent networks, market clusters, trade associations, and church/mosque hubs—often more reliable than pure digital in the early scale phase.
• Trust mechanics: Escrow, “pay on delivery” variants, visible dispute resolution, and public SLAs can lift conversion materially.

3) Engineer growth loops (not just campaigns)

• Acquisition loops: Referral rewards funded from proven LTV; B2B2C via schools, unions, or cooperatives; marketplace cross-side incentives.
• Retention loops: Streaks, stored value, loyalty cashbacks, bundles (e.g., data + content), and community features.
• Economic loops: Seller tooling → better supply → better selection → higher conversion → more sellers (classic marketplace flywheel).
  Measure each loop by velocity (how fast a loop completes) and amplitude (net new users or GMV per loop).

4) Build a compliance moat early (it pays back at scale)

• Nigeria Startup Act (NSA) benefits: Get your company labelled under the NSA to unlock incentives (e.g., access to funding programs, tax and R&D support pathways, and a formal interface with regulators). See the official portal and summaries for eligibility and incentives. startup.gov.ngforvismazars.comPWCNigeriaChambers and Partners
• Open Banking readiness (for fintechs/data products): Align architecture and policies with the CBN Operational Guidelines for Open Banking (March 2023)—consent management, tiered API access, security, customer experience, and risk standards. Being compliant accelerates bank/fintech integrations. Central Bank of NigeriaUUBONairametrics
• Sector basics: Where relevant, plan for NITDA data rules, NCC for telecom interfaces/USSD, NAICOM if offering insurance products, and SON/NAFDAC for physical goods categories.

5) Architect the stack for 10× growth

• Modular services: Separate customer, order, payments, and analytics services with clear interfaces; avoid a monolith that blocks squads.
• Event-driven ops: Use queues for idempotent, retry-safe workflows (KYC, payouts, notifications).
• Observability: Centralized logs, tracing, SLOs, on-call runbooks.
• Data layer for intelligence: A clean events schema + warehouse + reverse ETL unlocks personalization, risk scoring, and growth automation.

6) Route to market: multi-channel by design

• Own direct channels: Optimized mobile web/app, WhatsApp commerce flows, call-center assist.
• Partnership channels: Telcos, banks, super-apps, FMCG distributors, agent networks. Create standard partner playbooks: co-marketing assets, data-sharing schemas, settlement timelines, and success KPIs.
• Export channels under AfCFTA: If you sell tradable goods or digital services, build an Africa plan early—rules of origin, logistics partners, and market access intel matter. Nigeria’s participation in AfCFTA initiatives and new Market Access tools for MSMEs strengthen the case for regional scaling. ODI: Think changeUNDP

7) Team & org: scale people systems, not titles

• Two-pizza product squads owning metrics (e.g., “Onboarding Conversion,” “Collections Recovery”).
• Hiring bar & ramp plans so every new hire hits productivity by day 30/60/90.
• Manager training in feedback, one-on-ones, and performance calibration—your culture won’t scale without it.
• Compliance & finance in the room for experiments that touch pricing, lending, or data.

8) Funding strategy that matches your business model

• Equity: Angels → local funds → regional/global funds. Track dilution and runway math; run “default alive” scenarios.
• Debt (for working capital, inventory, or lending books): Explore local Naira facilities, revenue-based financing, and structured SPVs; match loan tenor to asset duration.
• Non-dilutive/local programs: In Lagos, Lagos Innovates (LSETF) offers workspace vouchers and hub loans that reduce burn during the build-out phase. lagosinnovates.nglagosinnovates.ngLSETF
• Capital-markets optionality: As you mature, understand the NGX Growth Board path, free-float/shareholder thresholds, and advisory requirements; even if listing is years away, preparing your governance/financial reporting now reduces future friction. Nigerian Exchange Group+1proshare.coproshare.co

9) Risk, fraud & credit: industrialize defenses

• Fraud controls: Device fingerprinting, velocity rules, watchlists, chargeback playbooks, and human-in-the-loop reviews for edge cases.
• Credit: Start with tiny limits, fast feedback loops, and graduated collateralization; connect repayment incentives to product value (access tiers, discounts).
• Business continuity: Multi-acquirer payment routing, inventory buffer rules, and incident post-mortems with public learning when appropriate.

10) Metrics that matter at scale

• North Star aligned to customer value (e.g., active financed merchants, fulfilled next-day deliveries, verified learning hours).
• Four core dashboards: Growth (acquisition/activation), Retention (cohorts/NRR), Monetization (ARPU, margins), Efficiency (burn multiple, payback).
• Board pack cadence: Monthly operator pack + quarterly strategic deep-dive; no surprises.

11) Legal & tax efficiencies (use the law as leverage)

• NSA labelling & incentives: Align your corporate structure and R&D spend to maximize eligibility (e.g., R&D deductions and access to Pioneer Status via relevant pathways). Maintain documentation discipline. forvismazars.comthemediterraneanpractice.com
• IP & contracts: Assign all IP to the Nigerian holdco (or appropriate group entity), use well-scoped contractor agreements, and standardize vendor MSAs with SLAs and DPAs.

12) Expansion beyond Nigeria

• Playbook per market: Local payments/USSD, last-mile realities, regulatory map, and a first lighthouse customer/partner.
• AfCFTA practicalities: Validate tariff lines, rules of origin, and export documentation; seek export-finance support where needed—evidence shows SMEs benefit when export-finance and logistics costs are addressed head-on. Tralac

A 90-Day Scale Sprint (template)

Days 1–15

• Confirm PMF signals; lock 3 North-Star KPIs and 6 guardrail metrics.
• NSA labelling application prep; Open Banking compliance gap-check (if fintech). startup.gov.ngCentral Bank of Nigeria

Days 16–45

• Stand up growth, retention, and risk squads with explicit P&L-like targets.
• Ship 2 growth loops and 1 retention loop; A/B price tests focused on payback < 3 months.

Days 46–75

• Partner pathway: 3 shortlisted telco/bank/association partners with signed pilots.
• Data foundation live (events schema + warehouse + BI); fraud rules v1.

Days 76–90

• Capital plan: confirm 12–18 months runway via mix of equity, grants/loans (e.g., Lagos Innovates), and debt as appropriate.
• Draft “NGX readiness” checklist (governance, audits, shareholder register hygiene) to preserve the listing/exits option. lagosinnovates.ngNigerian Exchange Group

Common scaling pitfalls in Nigeria (and fixes)

• Channel concentration (one ad network or one partner): Diversify top-of-funnel and enforce partner SLAs.
• Ops debt (manual spreadsheets everywhere): Automate repetitive workflows; invest in QA and internal tools.
• Premature geography jumps: Enter one new market only after a repeatable playbook and strong unit economics at home.
• Ignoring regulator relationships: Proactive engagement and sandbox participation shorten integration timelines and reduce surprise policy risks.

Final word

Scaling in Nigeria rewards founders who blend operational discipline, regulatory fluency, and creative distribution. Use the NSA and Open Banking momentum to your advantage, design for real-world constraints, and compound small wins—sustainably.