Foluso Phillips
Chairman, Board of Advisors | Founder & Executive Chairman, Phillips Consulting
Veteran management consulting leader shaping enterprise strategy, leadership development, and institution-building across Africa.
The Caladium Foundation
Practical support for African SMEs to start, grow, and scale sustainably.
Delivered through business education, community, market access, funding, and sustainability.
Why this work matters
SMEs drive economic growth. Support determines how far they go.
We exist to address a fundamental gap: while SMEs drive economic activity and job creation, most operate without access to structured business education, capital pathways, or strategic networks.
1,520
SMEs surveyed across sectors
2024 Caladium Nigerian SME Report
49%
contribution to Nigeria's GDP
2024 Caladium Nigerian SME Report
86%+
of Nigeria's workforce linked to MSMEs
2024 Caladium Nigerian SME Report
61.76%
use personal savings as primary funding
2024 Caladium Nigerian SME Report
Ayo Bankole Akintujoye & Oluwaseun "Slim" Durojaiye, Co-Founders
Caladium SME Programs
Six Caladium SME programs. One mission: to help African SMEs grow with structure.
Delivered through business education, fellowship support, strategy training, funding, market access, and sustainability and green economy education.
SMEs Supported
Across programs and community interventions.
Caladium SME Programs
Six practical SME growth programs helping African entrepreneurs build skills, access support, and scale sustainably.
Years of Impact
Building consistent support for African SMEs.
Delivery Channels
Business education, community, market access, funding, and sustainability.
About Us
Built for the entrepreneur building without a safety net.
The Caladium Foundation was created to provide structure where it is often missing, enabling entrepreneurs to transition from informal operations to strategically managed businesses.
The Foundation delivers impact through five channels: business education, community, access to market, funding, and sustainability.
Six programs. Five delivery channels. One mission: practical SME support that moves businesses from survival to scale.
Caladium Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria
Our full storyCLSME Edition 9 - Upcoming
Caladium SME Bootcamp (CLSME), our flagship annual event.
Since 2018, CLSME has delivered one-day, high-impact events for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and practical capacity-building for entrepreneurs and SMEs.
Edition 9 continues this focus with immersive sessions that help founders build market-ready businesses and stronger management systems.
One-day, high-impact business management event
Practical sessions led by experienced business leaders
Designed to address real SME operating challenges in Nigeria
Our Community
11,000+ entrepreneurs. One connected ecosystem.
The Caladium SME Community is a non-profit initiative under the Caladium Foundation, created to build a thriving space where small businesses can connect, learn, and grow in today's challenging business environment.
Peer Accountability
Business Education
Referral Network
Board of Advisors
Guided by experience. Governed by purpose.
Our Board of Advisors brings decades of expertise in finance, policy, and enterprise development to keep our mission accountable and impactful.
Lola Esan
Partner and Head, People & Organisation, EY West Africa
People and workforce advisory leader supporting organization design, leadership effectiveness, and culture transformation.
Dr Nkiru Olumide-Ojo
Founder, Lighthouse Women Network
Brand and leadership advocate focused on women’s leadership, professional development, and enterprise visibility.
Ashley Immanuel
Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Semicolon
Operations and innovation leader with experience in digital talent development and enterprise capability-building.
Tayo Osiyemi
Executive Director, SKLD Integrated Services
Business development and operations executive supporting sustainable scale, execution systems, and enterprise growth.
Research & Insights
Grounded in real businesses. Built for real decisions.
Research publications including the Caladium Nigerian SME Report, built to support clearer SME decisions in Nigeria.
What the report found
01
78% of Nigerian SMEs identified access to financing as their greatest barrier to growth.
02
Businesses that invested in formal business education grew at 2.3x the rate of those that did not.
03
Only 32% of surveyed SMEs had a documented business strategy despite plans to scale.
04
Community membership correlated strongly with business survival past the 3-year mark.
Stories From Our Community
Real businesses. Real people. Real change.
Proof from entrepreneurs and founders across the Caladium ecosystem.
Featured Story
“Our 2024 success story began with the inaugural Caladium Fellowship Program, which transformed our business operations. Winning the Caladium SME Pitch Grand Prize marked a major milestone.”
Aro Farms
Fellowship Graduate & Pitch Winner
Nigeria
Alice Adeyeye
Safebelle Foods
“It was a privilege for @safebellefoods to participate in the business pitch competition at the #ibadansmebootcamp organized by @ayobankolee and the @lagossmebootcamp team. We are honored to emerge as the first runner up and Safebelle Foods do not take this for granted.”
Caladium SME Bootcamp
Ibadan
Treasure Ibok
Partner, Agatha Sickle Cell Foundation
“I was live at #LagosSMEbootCamp where I learnt so much about business and how to scale. I also met with people of value. Coming from Akure down to Lagos was worth it.”
Caladium SME Community
Nigeria
HQ Healthy Treat
Fellowship Participant
“We successfully onboarded HQ Healthy Treat on Glovo, significantly expanding our reach. This milestone stemmed from insights and strategies gained during the CLSME Fellowship, which provided the guidance and motivation to bring this vision to life.”
Caladium SME Fellowship
Nigeria
Zamar Solutions
Fellowship Participant
“We wanted to express our heartfelt gratitude for your instrumental role in Zamar Solutions' growth. The results have been remarkable: N643,400 in revenue in November and N2,902,000 in December, with an 18.8% gross profit.”
Caladium SME Fellowship
Nigeria
Oyeyemi Thrive
Bootcamp Participant
“Lagos SME Bootcamp promised aha moments and delivered that and more. The sessions brought real business experience, practical ideas, and a community of founders learning together.”
Caladium SME Bootcamp
Lagos
Backed by over 200 partners helping African SMEs access capacity, markets, capital, and community.
