Leveraging Nigeria’s massive youth population through enterprise development in innovation and technology took centre stage on Tuesday at the Global Entrepreneurship Week.

The Lagos Business School Enterprise Development Centre assembled a crop of Nigerian entrepreneurs to discuss the global trend of youth entrepreneurship with emphasis on Nigerian youths.

At the event, the Chairman of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and Channels Media Group, Mr John Momoh, who was the Keynote Speaker, called on youths to be purpose-driven.

He said, “The youths must have a right attitude. The attitude should be one of goal orientation. The youth should be purposeful and not be carried away the enticements of the moment. Any eye on the future helps the drive for more work, hunger which can be rewarding at most times.”

The Global Entrepreneurship Week is a decade old tradition across about 180 countries. This year the event focuses on a disruptive innovation for technology in national development, and the Lagos event attracted over 500 youth corps members.

Also at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Nehemiah Company Ltd, Mr Adeniyi Aromolaran, praised the National Youth Service Corps scheme for preparing the youth for life’s challenges.

“The NYSC is a national orientation programme, orientation for national mentality thinking. That is the first thing the NYSC should do. It should give us a nationalistic thinking,” he said.

On his part, the CEO of Wilsons Juice Company, Mr Seyi Abolaji, cautioned the youth against becoming entrepreneurs for the sake of it.
He said, “Not everybody should be an entrepreneur, not everybody should own their own business. Some people need levels of comfort, moving forward. I personally don’t need comfort right now.”

The Coordinator of FATE Foundation, Mrs Adenike Adeyemi, urged youths to think of positive ways of translating their vibrant ideas into sustainable and viable businesses.

As part of the event, some of the corps members participated in a pitching programme after which three of them emerged winners for best business ideas.
They walked away with cash prizes ranging from N200,000 to N500,000.