There is a phrase I hear constantly from investors preparing to enter African markets: “We need access.”
They are right. In most emerging markets, government institutions shape almost every stage of a project. Ministries set priorities. Regulators issue licences. Agencies approve land, tariffs and incentives. State and local governments influence permits and community support. Without the right relationships with these institutions, even well-funded projects stall.
But “access” means very different things to different people. For some, it means a quick meeting with a senior official. For others, it means a relationship with the institutions themselves, one that survives elections, reshuffles and the departure of any single contact.
Only the second kind builds lasting businesses. That is what I call institutional access, and it is one of the most important and least understood factors in successful market entry.
I work on this every day as a cross-border business strategist based in Dubai, connecting international investors and institutions with African governments and decision-makers in healthcare, energy, education and technology. Here is how I explain it to the investors I work with.
Personal access versus institutional access
Personal access is a relationship with an individual. It can be valuable, but it is temporary. When that person moves to another role, retires or falls out of favour, the access disappears with them.
Institutional access is a relationship with an organisation. It is built across several levels, from technical staff to senior leadership. It is anchored in official processes, written agreements and a track record of delivery. And it continues even when individuals change.
The difference matters enormously. I have seen investors spend months cultivating a single senior contact, only to start again from zero after a cabinet reshuffle. I have also seen investors who built relationships with technical teams, regulators and agencies continue smoothly through several changes of minister.
The access ladder
A useful way to think about institutional access is as a ladder. Each rung represents a deeper and more durable relationship.
| Rung | What it looks like | How durable it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1. No access | The investor is unknown to relevant institutions | Not applicable |
| 2. Transactional access | Occasional meetings, often through an introduction | Very fragile |
| 3. Procedural access | Formal engagement through agencies, applications and official channels | Moderate |
| 4. Relational access | Trusted working relationships with technical teams and senior officials | Strong |
| 5. Institutional access | Recognised as a reliable partner across institutions, with formal agreements and a delivery record | Very strong |
Most new entrants start on the first or second rung. The goal is to climb steadily to the fifth.
Two ways up the ladder: earned and paid
There are two ways investors try to climb this ladder.
The first is to pay for it. Intermediaries often approach foreign investors promising private meetings with senior officials in exchange for fees or favours. This can seem like a fast route to the top. In reality, it only reaches the second rung, and it does so on unstable ground.
Paid access depends on one person’s influence. It exposes investors to serious legal risk, since companies from the Gulf, Europe and the United States all operate under anti-bribery laws that apply to their conduct abroad. And it damages reputation with exactly the institutions an investor needs to build relationships with over time. Officials, regulators and development banks notice who arrives through which door.
The second way is to earn it. Earned access starts with official channels such as national investment promotion agencies. It grows through proposals that support public priorities, through engagement with technical teams and through keeping commitments. It is slower at first. But every rung climbed this way is solid, and it becomes the foundation for the next.
Paid access is a rope someone sells you. Earned access is a staircase you build yourself. Only one of them holds your weight when conditions change.
What institutions are protecting
To build institutional access, it helps to understand what each institution is trying to protect. Every organisation has a mandate, and its officials are accountable for it.
- National leadership is protecting its political credibility. It wants visible results and jobs that reflect well on the government.
- Line ministries are protecting their sector targets. A health ministry is measured on access to care, an energy ministry on power connections, an education ministry on learning outcomes.
- Finance ministries are protecting the public budget. They are wary of projects that create hidden liabilities, guarantees or subsidies.
- Regulators are protecting public safety and fairness. They need complete documentation and clear compliance.
- Investment promotion agencies are protecting their reputation as effective gateways. They want projects that succeed and attract more investment.
- State and local governments are protecting local interests. They want local jobs, services and community support.
When an investor understands what each institution is protecting, it becomes much easier to design a project they can support. A proposal that helps a ministry meet its targets, avoids new fiscal burdens and creates local jobs gives several institutions a reason to say yes.
How to climb from rung to rung
From no access to procedural access: Register with the national investment promotion agency. Study the national development plan and sector strategies. Make sure every engagement goes through official channels.
From procedural to relational access: Meet technical teams before seeking senior meetings. Listen to their concerns and adapt your proposal. Share information openly and respond quickly to requests.
From relational to institutional access: Formalise commitments through written agreements. Deliver visible early results. Report progress regularly. Build relationships at several levels, so no single departure can break the connection. Where possible, connect your project to wider frameworks, such as development bank programmes or bilateral trade agreements. For Gulf investors, the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with African countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Angola provide useful structure.
The role of the trusted bridge
For many investors, climbing the ladder alone is difficult. They may not know which institutions matter, how decisions are actually made or how to approach officials in a way that builds trust.
This is where a trusted bridge adds value. A good bridge is not someone who sells introductions. It is someone who understands both the investor’s world and the government’s, and who helps each understand the other through legitimate, transparent channels.
In practice, a trusted bridge helps investors map the institutions that matter, prepare proposals that address what each institution is protecting, engage in the right order and build the relationships that move a project up the ladder. A bridge also helps African officials understand what investors need before they can commit capital with confidence.
This is the core of my work. Gulf investors often bring capital, expertise and strong diplomatic ties. African institutions often have clear priorities and real projects in need of partners. My role is to help them meet on solid ground.
Why my own access was earned
I learned the value of institutional access by building it myself. For more than a decade, I have run Float Beauty, a six-branch business across Nigeria headquartered in Abuja, from Dubai. Through Float Women’s Circle, I trained more than 3,000 young women. And I delivered a government-funded training programme for 500 participants in one Nigerian state.
That government programme taught me exactly how institutional relationships are formed. Officials did not trust me because of who I knew. They trusted me because the work was planned carefully, documented properly and delivered as promised. That record has opened more doors than any introduction ever could.
A five-question access audit
Before you enter a new market, ask yourself:
- Which institutions will affect our project, and what is each one protecting?
- Are we engaging through official channels at every stage?
- Do we have relationships at several levels, or depend on one contact?
- Are our commitments in writing?
- Could we describe every relationship openly to our board and regulators?
If you are unsure about any of these, your institutional access is not yet strong enough.
The bottom line
Successful market entry is not about knowing the right person. It is about becoming the right partner for the right institutions.
Institutional access is built slowly, through official channels, aligned proposals, written commitments and consistent delivery. It cannot be bought, and it should not be rushed. But once established, it becomes one of the most valuable assets an investor can hold: a foundation that supports not just one project, but many.
For investors looking at Africa and other emerging markets, the message is simple. Climb the ladder the right way, and it will hold.
Safiya Umar is a Nigerian entrepreneur and cross-border business strategist based in Dubai. She connects international investors and institutions with African governments and decision-makers, facilitating Africa investment in healthcare, energy, education and technology. She is the founder of Float Beauty, which operates six branches across Nigeria, and Float Women’s Circle, which has trained more than 3,000 young women.
