Special Adviser to Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Security, Ben Chiobi, has advised youths to resist the ‘japa syndrome’ and explore opportunities in the country.
He said opportunities of making money in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast, were more than what obtained in Western countries.
Chiobi spoke in Awka, Anambra State capital, at the 2023 edition of The Pivot Conference, with the theme: ‘From Challenges to Opportunities: Unveiling the Potentials in Southeast Nigeria through Social Innovation.’
He advised youths to avail themselves of opportunities for mentoring, saying the only way to succeed in the ICT generation was to be creative and not be a copycat.
One of the resource persons and the Chief Executive Officer, Selecom Ltd, Precious Obimdi, lamented that Nigerian system was designed to frustrate younger entrepreneurs from thriving in businesses.
He identified partnerships with governments, agencies and bigger establishments as ways of staying afloat and making impact on human lives.
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A banking expert, Tochukwu Nwokediuko, said over 65 per cent of businesses scarcely survived first three years in Nigeria due to lack of access to funding and credit facilities, planning and poor financial literacy among business owners.
A technology expert and Managing Director of Anambra State ICT Agency, Fred Agbata, said opportunities abound in the ICT sector, but noted that without innovative spirit, teamwork and partnership, success in business would be difficult.
Speaking about ‘Fostering Youth-led Impact Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Growth,’ the Regional Coordinator, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mrs. Chito Onuzulike, an engineer; said SMEs were crucial component of the economy.
Pivot Executive Director, Ifedi Eze, a lawyer; said the past half-decade had been bedevilled by socio-economic problems, with negative impact on economic indices.