Entrepreneurship: Cleric, others call for support for Nigerian youths
Speakers at the fifth edition of the annual Audacious Conference, which held recently at Heritage Hall, Ogba, Lagos have decried the low level of entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths.
Themed: How to set and achieve impressive goals in 2022, the speakers agreed that small businesses are the engines of growth of any economy, especially in the areas of wealth creation and employment opportunities.
In the above light, Lawrence Onochie, Senior Pastor, King’s Heritage Church, Ogba, and convener of the conference stated that the objective of the conference is to motivate and encourage young people to become productive entrepreneurs by connecting with the Audacious conference.
He said: "in order to contribute its quota to national development and better the destines of youths who have indicated interest in achieving their goals, we initiated the Audacious Conference to assist start-ups and job creators identify rare opportunities to grow their businesses."
According to him, many people are held back from achieving their set goals because of their mind sets hence the Audacious Conference aims to liberate their minds by inspiring them to step out and actualize their dreams.
"We are providing valuable information and resources to enable them live wholesome lives with the needed resources for their businesses to achieve greater heights. This will in turn have a significant multiplier effect on the society,” Onochie argued, adding that the conference will teach youths to identify rare opportunities for financial gains and also help them in setting goals and achieving then by giving them a real direction for all of the tasks they intend to achieve.
Speaking in the same vein, Richie Achukwu, leadership coach and one of the facilitators at the conference noted that to solve the unemployment challenge, Nigeria needs to strategically position youths to be job creators.
Achukwu urged the government to review the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), so that youths can be productive during their one year service to the nation.
“We lose opportunities with the Youth Service. It is the greatest chance you have to rebuild the society; it is one year you have to get them to think differently not as employees but as job creators. It is a time you bring people like Dangote, Pat Utomi, Tony Elumelu, Cosmas Maduka, Ibukun Awosika, Alakija among others to impact the new generation,” Achukwu said.
Dapo Omolade, CEO of Hybrid Group, another facilitator, who shared his life experience, encouraged the youths to craft their brand in order to sell it.
“Get educated about an idea because the world is changing. Once a problem is identified, you can provide the solution, then know how to sell and tips of successful business,” Omolade said.
Ayo Emakhiomhe, a management consultant and CEO of Coinbox, another facilitator gave useful tips on creating wealth and admonished that in order to boost the growth of small businesses one needs to be patient for it to materialize.
Emakhiomhe stated that many start-ups go into extinction before five years due to prevailing challenges in the Nigerian environment. But the situation could be addressed through capacity development and other necessary support to build a prosperous business.
Speaking, Josephine Onochie, wife of the convener said women should contribute to the vision by using their entrepreneurial abilities to identify business opportunities in import substitution, regardless of the state of the economy.
Onochie explained that Nigerian women were already in male dominating professions and have excelled, they can equally venture into businesses and export their products to other countries, adding they could benefit by networking with the right group.