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Growth 9 min read27 Aug 2026
Writing a business plan a Nigerian lender will actually read
Which sections get read, which get skipped, and the numbers that decide the outcome.
What gets read
The executive summary, the funding request, and the cash flow. In that order. Everything else is checked for consistency against those three.
What gets skipped
Long market-size sections quoting continental figures. A credible small number for your actual reachable market in your actual state is worth more than a large one for Africa.
The numbers that decide it
- Existing revenue. Real, bank-traceable revenue outweighs any projection.
- Repayment capacity. Can the business service the loan from cash it already generates?
- What the money buys. A specific, costed purchase funds far more readily than "working capital".
Common failures
Projections with no basis, a founder salary that is invisible, and a plan that contradicts the bank statements attached to it.
- business plan
- funding
- lenders