Place in PH where they teach entrepreneurs how to think

An entrepreneur is someone who is full of innovations to create businesses. Now, there is a place in PH where entrepreneurs are taken back to the basics to learn how to think. They are made to take a walk and in the short distance, look critically for gaps that can create businesses along the way. Any person who does this drill well may come up with up to 10 business ideas that can fetch huge sums per week.

This was made known by Uche Onochie, the Convener and CEO of Make-In-Nigeria. Onochie is the founder of Marketplace Apostles who created Make-In-Nigeria. Every year for the past 13 years, his group mounts a one-week conference/exhibition series for innovative and creative minds and producers.

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Explaining how this is done, Onochie said it is about thinking business development. It teaches one how to become business conscious just by thinking.

This may come easily for Onochie because of his background but he is teaching others this natural skill of thinking like an entrepreneur. He said: “Anywhere we are, we look around and think out a business that the place can nurture. For instance, my friend and I walked up to the State Secretariat the other day and as we went, we saw 10 businesses that can fetch N100,000 per week. Look, business is no assumption.”

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On what impact his scheme has had so far, Onochie said it has been great. “We are no longer teaching people to build businesses but to build systems; systems that can attract collaboration, foreign partnership, etc. We encourage entrepreneurs to create something that would be viable.”

This is the 13th edition, he noted, and it is his contribution to the economy of Nigeria and the South-South.

“We need support from the government and also from big corporations and companies. This is the 13th year and TotalEnergies is now here. We need more of such. We want more companies to get close.

“Some companies in Lagos are just looking this way. They usually say there are no companies in Port Harcourt, but this is not totally correct. It is our duty to show them that there are businesses and companies here.”

On how Government can come in, the Convener said this could be through different ways. “It may not be in terms of money but if the governor of the state or principal officers show up here, many companies will struggle to be here.”

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Local councils can leverage such platforms to groom their youths into great entrepreneurs the next year. Often, the government leaders don’t think in this direction.

Declaring open the conference and exhibition, the president of the PH City Chamber, Mike Elechi, said Make-In-Nigeria was PHCCIMA baby. “We are celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship and untapped potentials. These will galvanize Nigeria to compete with the world. This is ingenuity for 13 years. Be sure of our support.”

Speaking, the GM, Community Affairs (projects and development) of TotalEnergies, Godspower Nwachukwu, revealed why the IOC was ready to identify with ‘Make-In-Nigeria’. He said it has emerged as an avenue to expose the graduates they trained and empowered to exhibit their works.