It is not every day that one has the opportunity to participate in a training program that delivers a comprehensive, wall-to-wall coverage of a subject matter. Often, training programs are designed to teach you one new skill, one new tool, or one new approach. But the SCALE 360º Program, designed by Argidius, implemented by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), and hosted at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) in Lagos, taught five. All backed with research and confirmed by experience.

The program ran from the 10th of July to the 13th of August 2025, where TMC was ably represented by its Chief Technology Officer, Mr. Damola Mabogunje. Even before the program started, there were signs that it was not going to be your run-of-the-mill agenda. From the extremely detailed survey all participants were asked to fill out, to the expert coaching and peer learning opportunities promised (and delivered), the SCALE 360º program looked and felt like everything a Business Development Service Provider (BDSP) could ask for. I mean, everything but the price tag wet our appetite, and now that we have completed the program, we consider it money well spent.

So what exactly did the program deliver? Well, first of all, the answer is in the name: SCALE 360. The program teaches 5 principles, each represented by a letter, and all coming together for a 360º approach to running your BDSP.

• S – Select The Right Enterprise
• C – Charging Enterprises Improves Performance
• A – Address Problems
• L – Learn By Evaluating Enterprises’ Performance
• E – Lead by Example

Yeah. I also feel they cheated with the naming. But SCALE is much better than SCALL, so please let it slide. For each of these principles, we had a full day’s session, led by a co-chair, supported by peer-to-peer group work, and smoothed along with icebreakers and food. The sessions also followed a flipped classroom style with dedicated readings assigned before the class, and in-class time spent on active learning exercises and discussions. So even though the co-chairs gave their fair share of knowledge and insights to us, we also learned just as much from each other.

Furthermore, we only had one class a week, which made it more manageable for us working professionals. And the icing on the cake was that after the pre-session reading, in-class activities, and homework, we still got to be briefly coached by the co-chair for each topic after class to answer any lingering questions we might have. So when they say 360º, they really mean it.

But let me take you back for a moment. Because ANDE did something with that extremely detailed survey I mentioned earlier, which I found remarkable. They used it not just to analyse our businesses, but also to benchmark us against the rest of our cohort. Then they gave us our benchmark scores so that we would know our performance as against our peers, and as against an objective grade.

I found this remarkable because it is usually the case that organisations ask for our data as a prerequisite to something, and we give them our data, and that’s the end of it. We don’t know how it was used or what for, and the outcome of them having that data is left to be seen. But ANDE led by example, showing us one way we can make our clients’ or participants’ data useful to themselves.

In fact, the entire program was an example of the SCALE framework in practice. ANDE selected the right enterprises by analysing our survey responses. They charged for their program. They addressed problems practically throughout the course. Learnt from their enterprises using their feedback, and finally, Led by example by making the whole class a case in point of how to run a program according to the principles taught.

Looking back now, I can see the value beyond the principles I have gained, and I look forward to reaping more of its benefits.