NASS pledges commitment to youth entrepreneurship, economic inclusion

The National Assembly has pledged to continue to formulate laws and support policies and initiatives that will strengthen youth entrepreneurship and economic inclusion in Nigeria.

Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, stated this at the 2024 Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge (UEC), organised by Ugwumba Centre for Leadership Development in Africa (UCLDA), on Tuesday in Abuja.

Kalu said that the Federal Government, through its various programmes, was committed to creating pathways for youth to access training, mentorship and funding.

“Nigeria is home to one of the largest youth populations in the world. This offers immense potential for innovation, economic growth as well as leadership.

“Globally, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warns that youth unemployment disproportionately affects economic growth, economic stability and social progress.

“It is great to see platforms like UEC stepping in to provide solutions by equipping young entrepreneurs with the tools, with the mentorship, as well as financial support, helping them to succeed.

“We are not only creating businesses but also building a future where young entrepreneurs are empowered to thrive and lead.

“As policy makers, we must complement such initiatives by engendering a business-friendly environment.

“These include improving access to credit, enhancing digital infrastructure and ensuring that our educational system aligns with the needs of the modern workforce,” he said.

While commending the centre’s initiative in shaping the future of NIgeria, Kalu urged all stakeholders to join in addressing the challenges of youth unemployment in the country.

He stated that since its inception in 2018, UEC had supported over 5,000 small and medium-scale businesses and created jobs for more than 20,000 youths in SMEs fields.

“Let us all work together to unlock the future and the full potential for our youths and ensure that their energy, their creativity and their innovation drive their growth,” he said.

Kalau urged the participants to remember that entrepreneurship was not just a journey of profit, but one of creating value, solving problems and building a legacy.

Also speaking, a former Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr., commended Nwosu’s ‘selfless service and contributions’ to youth development, entrepreneurial and national development.

Nweke recalled that after losing out of Imo governorship race, Nwosu picked up the laudable initiative of supporting entrepreneurial development in the country, instead of returning to his shelf.

He said that the result of Ugwumba foundation’s genuine service was clear, describing it as “a legacy of inspiration pleasing to both God and man.”

The former minister emphasised the need for Nigerians to embrace self-development in line with global trends, saying there were trends in curriculum development as well as innovative and practical education which some Nigerians were not paying attention to.

“Globally, there is a shift away from certain courses, certain kinds of education and there’s a deliberate embrace of certain courses and skills that give you lifelong learning opportunities for you to really contribute practically to national development.

“While I will not argue against the responsibility of government to actually create employment opportunities, I will remind us that we have personal responsibilities for self-development,” he said.

Nweke advised Nigerians, especially the youth, to take advantage of the opportunities offered by UEC foundation to actualise their dreams.

The Executive Director of ULCDA, Remy Chukwunyere, said that the centre had served as forum of discovering potential of young Nigerians, selling and connecting them to opportunities across the world.

Chukwunyere said that the impacts of the centre were speaking for themselves, especially from the success story coming from the beneficiaries.

“Just a few days ago, one of our beneficiaries won $10,000 from another pitch competition. This is someone that we discovered while he was still a student in 2019. I’m talking about Valentine Nnamani

“After that, we got another news from Ruth Ede, another student we discovered in 2020; she won $20,000 from another grant pitch competition,” he said.