Henrich Akomolafe, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 2023 election at the level of the Federal House of Representatives, has said that his entry into the field of politics is set to redefine youth involvement in politics.
The young politician, who is running for the seat of Ekiti-South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, stated that his goal is not only to increase youth participation in politics, but also to change the way politics is conducted in the country.
Before venturing into politics, the 29-year-old entrepreneur had made a name for himself for making significant changes in the elevator and escalator market segments of Nigeria’s real estate industry. Akomolafe is perhaps one of the youngest aspirants in the National Assembly contest.
His journey to politics didn’t start recently; it started after he had painfully built a reputation for himself as an industrious entrepreneur who made a positive impact in the real estate business.
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After earning a Master of Science in Information Technology from the UPF Barcelona School of Management—Pompeu Fabra University in 2016, he returned to Nigeria to work in his family’s elevator manufacturing business. In just a few years, he repositioned the company so that it became Nigeria’s top firm for making, installing, and maintaining elevators and escalators.
Henrich, who is now the Managing Director of Akotex Group, has been able to grow his family’s business beyond the escalators and elevators that were its main focus before. The Akotex Group presently has businesses in construction, energy, technology, and real estate.
He was named one of Forbes Africa’s 120 game changers in 2019. Akomolafe has had an impact on the Nigerian business space, using technology to shake up industries through his Akotex Group.
“It is youth o’clock,” he said in an interview. “If elected, one of my main goals will be to show the world the innovativeness and ingenuity of Nigerian youths by driving youth development in his constituency in such a way that it becomes a national model for other legislators and even the executive branch of government to emulate.”
Henrich, who is known as “Atunko” by the people who vote for him, has been at the forefront of helping the youth in his community grow through scholarships and other projects that help them get ahead financially.
In addition, the young politician said that governance is about more than just giving people power. It is also about preparing young people for roles that will be important in the future and giving them opportunities and connections to start businesses, advance their careers with new global skills, and, in the end, drive economic growth with their energy, creativity, and drive to be entrepreneurs.
Akomolafe hopes to win the ticket and make a great impact on the lives of people in his constituency.
