Entrepreneurs have blamed the poor participation of Nigerian youths in economic activities on the lack of access to adequate incentives to identify and develop their skills.
The Founder, Naira Bet, a sport betting firm, Mr. Akin Alabi, explained that some young Nigerians succeeded in the harsh environment but that most of them were disadvantaged, owing to hurdles like poor education and absence of social amenities.
He said, “Nigeria is a country where the youths are blessed with intelligent skills but are faced with a lot of disadvantages. They receive very poor education, as most universities are not fully equipped, and do not have access to regular power supply, internet facilities, and libraries, among others.
“Youths should be fighters and the ladies among them should not let gender be a disadvantage in going into any business. Youths in any society are known as the leaders of tomorrow. They play a crucial role in the prospect of development and should be included in all national development plans and programmes.
Another entrepreneur, a lawmaker, Mr. Desmond Elliot, tasked the youths not to allow themselves to be defeated by the challenges listed, as there was enough space for them to flourish in every skill acquired.
He said, “If the sky is full of stars, there is always room for one more. There is nothing wrong from starting from the scratch; you can’t reach everybody at the same time. You can’t just achieve anything without going through certain difficulties.”
A disc Jockey and daughter of a Lagos billionaire, Ms. Ifeoluwa Otedola, popularly known as DJ Cuppy, said, “Get things done by getting into a business and neglect hurdles. Never find excuses because youths need to serve before they get reserved. Youths need to create and find opportunities and, don’t forget, nobody owes you anything. If you need to achieve anything, you have to make sacrifices.”
Alabi, at a youth empowerment initiative, gave N100,000 each to 50 registered small business owners that are cobblers, farmers, fashion designers, hair stylists, online marketers, and dry-cleaners, among others, to expand their business operations and upgrade their manpower.
