Solve problems with enterprise, Wabote charges youths
Sopuruchi Onwuka
Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has canvassed development and empowerment policies to harness the nation’s large population of youths in solving the nation’s social and economic challenges.
Executive Secretary, Engr. Simbi Wabote, stated at a virtual event hosted in Lagos that youth focused policies hold the future of the country, adding that youthful entrepreneurs are currently in the forefront of innovation and digital inventions across the globe.
He pointed out that over half of Nigerian population are young and could form the engine of economic growth by engaging in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) which, according to him, are the backbone of all thriving economies across the world.
With SMEs accounting for over 96 percent of all businesses in Nigeria, 84 percent of employment and 48 percent to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP); Engr Wabote charged government and other agencies to develop policy strategies that would engage the large number of Nigerians youths with useful activities.
He estimated Nigeria’s youth population at over 55 percent of the country’s 200 million population, pointing out that the youth population demands government policies to focus on the population that holds the future.
Engr Wabote whose agency works to establish a vibrant local capacity for creation of goods and services also challenged the youths to conceptualise business ideas that fill value gaps in the local economy, stating that the Nigerian Content policy of the government provides free and fertile business environment for indigenous entrepreneurs.
He made it clear that the huge gaps in the Nigerian economy which many people decry actually provide ample opportunities for the youths to evolve small scale enterprises that offer solutions to existing problems.
Engr. Wabote advised young Nigerians to refrain from complaints and channel their energies towards seeking business opportunities in addressing problems in the land.
He charged youths to innovate solutions and enterprises that would address problems, by thinking out how to make money out of problems in a legitimate way.
“Whether it is the nuisance of mosquitoes, the disgust you feel when you see heaps of refuse or pot-holes on our streets, or developing car-pooling app to decongest the road of too many vehicles, I encourage you to see every challenge or problem as an opportunity to wear your entrepreneurship cap to help humankind in your own little way and also prosper while solving the problem,” he charged youths.
Engr. Wabote also challenged youths to aspire for leadership, stressing that any society without youthful leaders would surely fall into decline.
“It is the ideas and energy of the youth that enables us to do some amazing things today such as being able to connect with someone in the other end of the globe within seconds,” he added.
He listed some leadership attributes to include integrity, self-awareness, skilled communication, effective delegation and learning agility. Other qualities include shared vision and empathy.
