Our Impacts
At Neighbours Shop, we are not just building businesses—we are transforming lives, communities, and the informal retail sector in Nigeria. Through our innovative Solar Powered Smart Kiosk program, we have empowered women to take charge of their economic futures, and the ripple effects of this empowerment extend far beyond individual success stories.
Here’s how Neighbours Shop is making a lasting impact:
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
Women are at the heart of what we do. By providing women with fully-equipped kiosks, training, and ongoing support, Neighbours Shop empowers them to become financially independent. These women, many of whom are widows or single mothers, are given the tools to build successful, sustainable businesses.
Economic Independence: Through our profit-sharing model, women entrepreneurs earn a steady income, helping them provide for their families, invest in their businesses, and contribute to their communities.
Increased Confidence and Skills: Our comprehensive training programs equip these women with the knowledge and skills they need to run successful businesses, boosting their confidence and creating lasting personal growth.
Boosting Local Economies
By placing kiosks in underserved areas, Neighbours Shop is helping to stimulate local economies. Each kiosk becomes a hub for essential goods, providing communities with easier access to daily necessities.
Job Creation: Beyond the kiosk operators themselves, our program supports the creation of additional jobs in supply, logistics, and maintenance. As kiosks grow and thrive, they create a network of economic activity in their communities.
Access to Goods and Services: Our kiosks offer a reliable source of everyday products such as groceries and frozen foods, helping to meet the immediate needs of local consumers while also reducing the strain of traveling long distances for essential items.
Formalizing the Informal Retail Sector
Nigeria’s informal retail sector accounts for about 90% of all retail activity, yet it remains largely unstructured and unregulated. Neighbours Shop is changing that by digitizing and formalizing micro-retail through the use of technology and innovative business models.
Introducing Technology to Micro-Retail: Through the use of cloud-connected tablets, real-time inventory management, and digital payment systems, our program brings structure and efficiency to informal micro-retail, making it easier for kiosk operators to manage their businesses and grow sustainably.
Financial Inclusion: Our system connects kiosk operators to formal financial services, providing them with bank accounts and opportunities to access credit. By integrating women into the financial system, we are fostering long-term economic growth and sustainability.
Sustainable Business Practices
At Neighbours Shop, sustainability is not just a goal—it’s a core principle. Our kiosks are powered by solar energy, reducing the environmental impact of business operations and ensuring that kiosks remain operational even in areas with unreliable electricity.
Green Energy: Solar power allows us to provide a reliable energy source for each kiosk, while minimizing the environmental footprint of our operations. This makes our businesses both economically and ecologically sustainable.
Waste Reduction: By facilitating the sale of perishable goods through our freezer-equipped kiosks, we help reduce food waste, contributing to more sustainable community food practices.
Fostering Community Development
Neighbours Shop kiosks are not just individual businesses—they are pillars of their communities. As these women-led businesses grow, they play a critical role in building stronger, more resilient local economies.
Strengthening Social Bonds: Our kiosks serve as local hubs, bringing people together and fostering connections within the community. As trusted vendors, kiosk operators often become key figures in their neighborhoods, contributing to the social fabric.
Improving Livelihoods: The economic benefits generated by our kiosks contribute to improved living conditions for not only the kiosk operators but also the wider community. By creating a reliable income source for these women, we help uplift entire families and neighborhoods.
Long-Term Impact
The success of Neighbours Shop’s model is measured not just by the number of kiosks deployed, but by the long-term impact these businesses have on the lives of women, their families, and their communities.
Generational Change: By empowering women today, we are creating a ripple effect that influences future generations. The children of our beneficiaries grow up witnessing financial independence and entrepreneurial spirit, fostering a culture of self-sufficiency and empowerment.
Scalability: As Neighbours Shop continues to grow, our model is scalable and adaptable to other regions in Nigeria and beyond. The potential to replicate this impact across communities, states, and countries means that Neighbours Shop is poised to make a national and international difference.