By Alloy Atta
How youths can redirect their energies from the pursuit of ‘sudden wealth’ by embracing education and entrepreneurship was the crux of an intellectual event in Enugu State organised at the weekend by a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria.
With the theme, “Empowering Our Youths: Igniting Passion for Education and Entrepreneurship”, the colourful event which attracted the creme de la creme of Enugu State held at the Conference Hall of Igbo Eze North Local Government of the state.
The participants cautioned youths against losing faith in education, advising that it is the only sure path to a sustainable future.
In a communique after the event, the participants called for a community solidarity to salvage Ezike youths from their near irredeemable and irremediable march towards a collective self perdition.
Part of the resolutions was to convene an Enugu Ezike Education and Entrepreneurship Summit within the first quarter of 2025 where experts would propose implementable agenda towards the launching and take-off of Ezike Oba Education and Entrepreneurship Trust Fund.
Participants agreed on the need to mobilise different communities in Enugu Ezike towards setting up Technical and Entrepreneurship Hubs and centres.
According to the communique, there was an urgent need to reconstruct the mindset of young people towards vocational education and aligning training programmes with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution as that will prepare them for both current and future employment challenges.
Participants agreed that concerted efforts would be pivotal in fostering a generation of skilled individuals capable of contributing meaningfully to the socio-economic growth and development of Enugu Ezike.
They agreed that the challenges youths face in terms of economic uncertainty and limited job opportunities have brought entrepreneurship to the forefront of discussions on youth empowerment.
Participants agreed that with the outstanding share of business magnates, and blue chip professionals of Enugu-Ezike extraction and the burgeoning commercial/economic activities in the area, the establishment of Enugu Ezike Chamber of Commerce is possible through proper awareness, advocacy and mobilization.
They called for the convening of an Enugu-Ezike Education and Entrepreneurship Summit within the first quarter of 2025.
In his keynote address, the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, and Director General, Institute of Medical and Health Law, Prof Uwakwe Abugu noted that the level of corruption which has permeated every conceivable sector of the people’s national life robs the youth the incentive for hard work and the philosophy of dignity of labour.
He said the situation actually fuels the warped belief that ‘education is a scam’ which also translates to hard work does not pay or is rather a waste of time.
The don regretted that successive governments have paid lip service to youth development.
He said the vision of the National Youth policy is to develop Nigerian youths with equal opportunities to realise their dreams and aspirations irrespective of their background, and living in a safe and secure environment that would optimise their contributions to National Development.
He recommended the immediate mobilisation of the business and professional communities of Enugu Ezike extraction both at home and in Diaspora towards the registration of Enugu Ezike Chamber of Commerce.
Prof Abugu observed that the 2024 Ezike Diamond lecture marked a watershed in the educational and economic transformation of Enugu Ezike.
In his presentation, one of the Guest Speakers, Dr Mark Eze Ugwoke said there was need for a concerted effort to reconstruct the mind-set of the youth(Gen-Z) towards embracing Technical and Vocational Education and Training(TVET).
He spoke on the topic, “Re-Aligning the min-set of the youth(Gen Zs) in Enugu Ezike towards Technical and Vocational Education and Training to thrive in employment dynamics of Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Dr Ugwoke said knowing the social vices associated with youth unemployment, government and non-governmental organisations should consider using TVET as a vehicle towards youth empowerment.
He said: “The youths can be empowered through the acquisition of functional and survival skills. While adopting this option, practising tradesmen and craftsmen in the locality (Enugu-Ezike) could be profiled, designated as master crafts-persons and facilitated to train profiled unemployed (unskilled) youth who are willing to acquire skills.
“The trainees on graduation can be assessed, certified and provided with start-up kits. The increasing number of unemployed youths (which at the moment stands approximately at 7,866 – 9,245) is dangerous and poses serious security threat to the government and individuals.”
He urged the new leadership of Igbo-Eze North L.G.A. to consider using the virtues of TVET to address the menace of youth unemployment in Enugu-Ezike.
The don recommended that harnessing the potential of TVET was essential for addressing youth unemployment in Enugu Ezike.
Also, speaking on, “The imperative of Entrepreunership in Enugu Ezike”, a consummate entrepreneur and Proprietor, Onward International Secondary School, Nsukka, Mr Peter Onyeke stressed the need for Ezike youths to embrace education and entrepreneurship with passion.
He said that in places like Enugu Ezike where job opportunities are scarce, entrepreneurship becomes a powerful tool for reducing unemployment.
“By encouraging more youths to become entrepreneurs, we can create a situation where people are not only able to employ themselves but also to employ others within the community.
“When one person starts a business, it often leads to the creation of new jobs for others. Small businesses are the backbone of most economies, and this is true in both urban and rural settings.
“Entrepreneurs are crucial in filling the gaps left by larger companies or government institutions. By supporting entrepreneurship, we can tackle the unemployment crisis and build a more resilient local economy”, he said.
Onyeke said the public and private sectors do not offer enough jobs to meet the demand of the increasing number of graduates.
He noted that entrepreneurship can transform the socio-economic landscape of Enugu Ezike, Igbo Eze North and Enugu State in general by creating an environment where innovation thrives.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Dr Cyprain Okoro thanked members of Ezike Diamond Club for organising such an event to prepare youths of the town for a better future.
He decried the rising cases of crime among youths in their desperation to ‘get rich quick’.
He said the 2024 lecture was timely to stem the tide of ‘Yahoo businesses’ among Enugu Ezike youths even as he warned them to retrace their steps.
Dr Okoro urged Ezike youths to embrace education and entrepreneurship to earn a living rather than waste their time in lifestyles that are not sustainable.
In his speech, the chairman of Igbo Eze North local government who was the Chief Host, Hon. Uche Ogala thanked members of Diamond Club for planning for the future of youths in Enugu Ezike.
He commended the timing of the event and urged the teeming youths present to make proper use of the lessons learnt from the 2024 lecture.
The LG chairman enjoined other groups with similar visions with Diamond club to work towards the progress and development of Enugu Ezike and Igbo-Eze North.
Earlier in his welcome address, President of the club, Mr Willy Eya said it was reassuring to see the very distinguished personalities that graced the occasion aimed at creating another pathway for the development and progress of Enugu-Ezike.
He said in Igbo-Eze North today, majority of our youths were desperate to make it quickly, hence, have resorted to the ‘Yahoo business’.
Many youths, he said, were not prepared to wait patiently to achieve the fruits of their labour but instead, anxious to ride flashy cars and build mansions via fast money-making means.
“Boys involved in Yahoo Plus are the reason the human-parts harvest business is thriving in some parts of the country. It is also partly responsible for the increasing cases of missing children in recent times.
“As we are gathered here today, can we imagine what would likely become the future of youths involved in these crimes? Your guess is as good as mine. However, one thing is sure: there would always be a period of reckoning for them including but not limited to depression, madness, and even untimely death.
“Diamond Club urges our youths not to toe that path. I do not need to remind them that such a life of crime is not sustainable. They should retrace their steps, embrace education, be patient and work hard to earn a living”, he said.
One of the highlights of the event was the investiture of a highly decorated professional, teacher, administrator and fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management(FNIM), Dr (Mrs) Sally Adukwu-Bolujoko as the Patroness of Ezike Diamond Club, Nigeria.
Dr Adukwu-Bolujoko thanked the club for the honour and said she would always collaborate with it to work for the development and progress of Enugu Ezike.
Represented by Mr Lawrence Awucha, she urged Ezike youths not to toe the path of crime as it was alien to the culture of the people.
Ezike Diamond, Nigeria, is a non-partisan, non-religious and non-governmental organisation made up of graduate professionals of Enugu-Ezike extraction, totally committed to the progress, welfare and general well-being of its members on one hand, and the development of Enugu-Ezike and the society at large, on the other. It is an exclusive club of individuals who have distinguished themselves in their careers and have committed to the service of their beloved town, Enugu-Ezike and humanity in general.
Quote: “there is an urgent need to reconstruct the mindset of young people towards vocational education and aligning training programmes with the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”