In furtherance of its commitment to connecting students and early- to mid-stage professionals with experienced mentors for career and personal development guidance, the Nasir Giwa Mentorship (NGM) platform has hosted its fourth annual youth conference.
Themed “Bold Ideas, Fearless Execution,” the conference, which was held in Lagos, brought together thousands of students, young and experienced professionals from different parts of the country to exchange insights on innovation, leadership, and career growth.
Group Managing Director of Sahara Power Group and Chairman of Ikeja Electric, Mr. Kola Adeshina, urged young Nigerians to dream big, develop bold ideas, and push boundaries in business and leadership.
He, however, noted that ideas must have practical and economic value to drive sustainable impact, stressing that “an idea that cannot be monetised is a useless idea.”
Managing Partner at Verraki, a business solutions company, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, charged the attendees to move from a scarcity mindset to a growth mindset, urging them to embrace continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation as pathways to unlocking opportunities and achieving excellence in their chosen fields.
Among the industry leaders who also spoke at the conference are Bashir Koledoye, Founder/Managing Director, Dharmattan Nigeria Limited, Sarwi Rahaman, Head of Public Sector Sales, Airtel Nigeria, Fiyin Ogunlesi, Founder, RegalStone Capital, and Idris Ayodeji Bello, Founder, LoftyInc Capital.
Others are Mohammed Bashir-Yunusa, Director of Innovation and Digital Business Solutions at Alternative Bank, Rashidat Adebisi, Chief Client Officer, AXA Mansard, Deepankar Rustagi, Founder/CEO, OmniRetail Technologies, and Temitope Yusuff, Director, Internal Audit and Risk Management, IHS Tower.
They all emphasised the importance of quality education, continuous training, mentorship, resilience, and collaboration in achieving success in today’s competitive environment.
Grand Mentor and Convener of the NGM Platform, Engr. Nasir Giwa, said the initiative would continue to empower young people with the skills and platforms to excel in their careers and drive meaningful change in their respective domains. “At NGM Platform, empowerment is not a theory; it is a practice,” he noted.
The highlight of the conference was the presentation of cash prizes to winners of the SME Pitch Competition, Case Study contest, and Ideas Fair, where secondary students showcased their different innovative ideas and solutions.
Students from Al-Raheem International School won the Idea Fair contest for secondary school students with their Food Bank idea. The winner of the SME Pitch competition was rewarded with N1 million, while the first and second runners-up got N750,000 and N500,000, respectively. The cash prizes were sponsored by Alternative Bank, and each cash prize was doubled by LoftyInc Capital.
Adil Gbadegesin and Hameedat Imran won the Case Study contest with their project titled ‘The Rite Approach: Conquering African Markets.’
The conference ended with networking sessions and mentorship sign-ups aimed at fostering long-term professional relationships between mentors and young participants.
