The Enugu State government has assured youths that it would continue to provide the enabling environment and other logistical support for them to thrive.
The administration also challenged the youths to identify their passion and talent, match it with their skills and go ahead to find solutions to critical problems facing the people, if they are to survive and flourish.
Declaring open a two-day youth development seminar in Enugu, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Charles Ndukwe, who was the special guest, submitted that people who have passion and adequate skills would have capacity to attract the funds needed to establish and expand any enterprise.
Ndukwe, described as a doyen in youth development in Africa, assured that society must be willing to pay anyone that could find solutions to problems.
He said, “While I urge you to look beyond government for jobs, I assure you that if you focus on your passion and match it with action, you can sustain yourselves and even go further and employ others, remember that little drops of water make the ocean and Rome was not built in a day, have patience, I am convinced, you can make it, and don’t forget that the richest people in the word are not government workers.
The commissioner, who was rather emotional, emphasised that young people who discovered their talents early, had brighter chances to succeed in life, as the era when people looked up to government for jobs had gone.
The seminar titled “How to identify business ideas and exploit them” was organised to help the youths create wealth in the midst of economic difficulty.
He praised the national coordinator Human Rights Volunteer Corps and founder of the Greater Tomorrow Initiative, Nigeria, Larry Oguego, who organised the free seminar, for his contribution to youth development in the country, especially in the south-east zone and Niger Delta regions and prayed God to bless and reward him abundantly.
In his opening remarks earlier, the convener of the workshop and national coordinator, Human Rights Volunteer Corps, Larry Oguego, advised the participants to manage time well if they hoped to succeed as entrepreneurs, stressing that every problem in Nigeria presented an opportunity to create wealth if anyone could address the problem.
Oguego, stated that as part of his new year plans, the organisation would soon commence an entrepreneurship and mentorship programme, designed to capture a greater number of young people based in rural communities and give them hope, especially those of them who though that the world was over for them. He, however, solicited the partnership and support of government and corporate bodies, as well as good spirited individuals in the society to sustain the project.
One of the participants from Anambra State, Chigozie Agulu, said that the seminar had positively challenged him to stop dreaming but to start doing something, pointing out that the workshop went beyond his expectations and imagination.
While commending Larry Oguego for the brain-storming seminar, Mr. Chigozie thanked them for the double gifts he received on the occasion and called on Nigerian Youths to think positively and contribute to nation building rather than constituting problem in the society.
The commissioner for youth and sports, Mr. Charles Ndukwe, later presented gifts to participants who were punctual at the event on behalf of the organisers.
More than 100 participants attended the seminar from different parts of southeast and Niger Delta regions of Nigeria.