Follow Us on Google
From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
A non-governmental organisation, Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa) recently pulled eminent resource persons together in Anambra State for a business summit for the youths to enable them develop businesses on their own and make positive impact on society.
The programme, which held at All Saints Anglican Cathedral Onitsha, had the theme, ‘Business purpose and profitability: The key for business sustainability’. Former president of TransCorp Plc Nigeria, Dr. Valentine Ozigbo; director general, Onitsha Business School, Professor Olusegun Sogbesan; Chairman, Emos Best Industry Ltd, Dr. E. C. Obiora; and president, Onitsha Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Chief Kevin Obieri, who was represented by Dr. Sunny Nwachukwu, did justice to the topic.
Founding president of UDUF Africa, Ezuma Smart Chinedu, stated that the under-45 CEOs business summit was an initiative of the foundation, which according to him, was designed to provide training, mentorship, capacity building/ skill acquisition opportunities to students, employed, under employed, unemployed, disabled youths, young business owners, political, traditional and religious leaders with a passion to serve humanity and transform communities in Africa through conference, seminars and boot camp and to strategically connect people who are in youth development, entrepreneurship, leadership, volunteerism and community service.
He further explained that the summit was indeed heterogeneous in nature, bringing together renowned business leaders, government agencies, business financing agencies, young business owners, entrepreneurship students and unemployed youths to explore the challenges faced by today’s entrepreneurs and allowing them to draw from a broad range of experiences and to identify practical approaches to address the needs.
Chinedu said: “Life is business and for you to survive on this earth, you need to develop a product. For you to be financially successful from this earth, you need to develop a product. Without developing a product, I didn’t think you will have anything that will put money in your pocket.
“We are using the programme also to tell youths that, it is not good to be lazy because if you are lazy, you cannot make your ends meet and you need to develop something that will put money in your pocket and it is not good to be a beggar, always depending on your parents. At the age of 30, 35 or 40, you still depend on your mother or your father to give you money for food or pay your house rent. But if you can come out and think what you can do for yourself and to your town and even to your community you will be happy for yourself.”
He hinted that there is avenue for youth empowerment as the programme progresses, saying that such plans prompted them to invite government agency directors, Engr. Chito Onuzulike, state manager, SMEDAN Anambra State; Tochukwu Akunna, manager, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, and others to attend the programme.
Obiora stated that youths have the spirit of entrepreneurship but they should do more and discover what makes the western world to be successful. He advised them to apply the spirit of humility, hard working and futuristic mindset, not mindset of quick money making.
Similarly, Sogbesan and Nwachukwu urged the youths to embrace education as a key, knowledge and ability to identify the need to make self reliance, reminding them that the programme was opportunity for them to excel in life if they will obey the instructions.
A participant, Mary Ede, described the summit as insightful and encouraged young entrepreneurs never to quit, but instead seek alternatives.
