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11 business groups eye N40m grants
The Edo State Government has challenged young people in the state to move beyond complaining about societal challenges and begin developing practical solutions capable of transforming their communities and positioning Edo for global relevance.
The call was made at the second edition of the Edo Youth Impact Forum (EYIF 2.0), where the government reaffirmed its commitment to youth development through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, innovation and access to opportunities.
Representing Governor Monday Okpebholo at the event, the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Musa Ikhilor, said Edo youths possess the talent, creativity and capacity required to drive sustainable economic growth if given the right opportunities and support.
Ikhilor urged the youths to adopt a solution-driven mindset, telling them to “light a candle” rather than complain about the darkness.
According to him, young people should identify challenges around them, develop innovative responses and start building solutions, regardless of how small their initial efforts may be.
He pointed to Edo youths who, after undergoing training in digital skills and coding, secured employment with Microsoft in the United States, describing the development as proof of what targeted training and opportunities could achieve.
“It is amazing that some of the big names we have on the international stage were once participants and interns like some of you today who have been part of this youth impact forum.
“For instance, I’m very much aware that the Edo Skills and Development Agency used to run a programme some years ago.
“And some of the youth they trained in digital skills and coding. About two of them went on to work for the communications giant Microsoft in the United States. And we see how a lot of young people started small, but today have gone global.
“Whether it has to do with the digital, the music industry, the fashion industry, even the agricultural industry and all that.
“There are a lot of young people doing a lot of wonderful things”, he said
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He expressed optimism that EYIF 2.0 would produce innovative ideas capable of becoming the “next big thing,” while encouraging participants to start small, remain consistent and stay prepared for opportunities.
“Luck is preparation meeting opportunity,” Ikhilor said, stressing that success requires hard work, persistence and readiness to seize opportunities when they arise.
He also encouraged participants who applied for the programme but were not selected or did not win grants not to regard the outcome as failure.
Rather, he urged them to use the experience as an opportunity to reinvent themselves, improve their ideas and prepare for future editions of the programme.
Earlier, the EYIF 2.0 Team Lead and Special Adviser to the governor on Finance, Investments and Revenue Generation, Kizito Okpebholo, explained that the initiative was conceived following a directive from Governor Okpebholo to create a youth empowerment programme that would be different from conventional interventions.
He said the governor had specifically challenged him to develop an initiative capable of providing meaningful opportunities for young people in the state.
“Last year, he (Governor Monday Okpebholo) tasked me to do something for our youth. He said, go and do something for our youth something that is different from every other kind of youth empowerment programme,” he said.
Okpebholo said the first edition produced five winning startup ideas, with a total of N10 million distributed as grants at N2 million each.
“This year, we are taking it a step further. We are giving out N40 million in grants to 11 business groups. We have them in different categories,” he added.
The expansion, he said, underscores the government’s determination to support innovative youth-led enterprises and create a stronger pipeline of young entrepreneurs in the state.
Also speaking at the event, the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady of Edo State, Mrs Anani Edesili, urged young people to take a more active interest in politics and participate in the political processes that shape the future of the state.
