Alakija drums support for young aspiring entrepreneurs

Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist, Folorunso Alakija, has expressed the belief that Nigeria, its economy and people can be transformed through entrepreneurship, while calling on state and federal governments to take a more systematic approach to job creation for youths, by supporting their entrepreneurial dreams.

Alakija stated this during the 8th annual African Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E) convention tagged ‘’Unemployment Summit,” organised by African Young Entrepreneurs in collaboration with Ondo State Entrepreneurship Agency (ONDEA) held recently at Akure, Ondo State.

“If we want our country to take its rightful place in the committee of Nations, we need to involve our youths in decision making, policy creation, strategy development, legislation, corporate governance, and entrepreneurship,” she said.

During her keynote address, she commended the Ondo State government, under the leadership of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for the foresight in providing a platform to assist youths in achieving their entrepreneurial dream. Alakija, who is also the grand matron of A.Y.E., noted that entrepreneurship remained an excellent panacea for youth unemployment and other associated vices. She urged the government and other relevant stakeholders to rise to the occasion by coming up with favourable policies, interventions and creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

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Also speaking, Summy Smart Francis, special adviser to the Ondo State governor on Entrepreneurship Development, noted that the summit was organised as part of its commitment to empowering young entrepreneurs by creating platforms that would facilitate trade and promote business ideas among the youths in Nigeria.

Francis commended the Ondo State government for the partnership, stressing that the platform offers opportunities for thousands of new entrepreneurs in Nigeria and beyond to boost their innovative businesses/ideas.

Since 2012, Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs has identified, showcased, and empowered budding and emerging entrepreneurs to either commence or scale up their businesses with the relevant resources and leverage innovation and technology to provide sustainable solutions in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.