Lagos: Experts have charged women and youth entrepreneurs to embrace skills development and collaboration to increase their contributions to the country's economic growth and development. They gave the advice at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) graduation/induction of NBCC Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Initiative (WYEDI) on Thursday in Lagos.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, advised entrepreneurs on the importance of positive possibilities and the need to be audacious. She emphasized that entrepreneurs must be armed with clear business goal plans and advance audaciously to achieve them. "While the sky is only the beginning, being audacious helps entrepreneurs to push boundaries, encourage innovations and set the stage for the significant edge success," she said.
Additionally, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Wakanow Nigeria, Mrs. Shola Ipinmoroti, urged the outgoing and incoming cohorts to remain teachable and agile in their entrepreneurial endeavors. Ipinmoroti stressed that collaboration was very critical to scaling a business as it combined resources, expertise, and networks to grow more efficiently. She added that collaboration enhances access to new markets, provides an umbrella body coverage, mitigates risks, and creates alliances for quicker decision-making. "Collaboration is key in understanding how to scale a business and it is important to be humble and get into an industry or an association that advances your business cause and goals," she said.
The Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, represented by the company's Head of Retail and Small and Medium Enterprises, Vivian Imoh, urged the cohorts to be more open-minded in business. Oni advocated the importance of investing in women and investments by women. She also charged the entrepreneurs to continually develop their skills in line with emerging and evolving global realities.
The President of NBCC, Mr. Ray Atelly, stated that the WYEDI was his personal commitment to ensure NBCC impact extended beyond boardrooms and policy forums, reaching into communities and directly touching lives. Atelly noted that economic transformation cannot happen in isolation and must be rooted in inclusion, building up those traditionally excluded from formal economic systems, particularly women and youth. He added that the event marked the launch of the NBCC Tech Programme and the formal inauguration of the WYEDI Alumni Network, a true celebration of purpose, progress, and promise. He stated that the event's theme: 'Beyond Limits: Nurturing Entrepreneurs, Building Legacies,' aimed to invest in changemakers to influence families, communities, and the broader economy.
"This programme is designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills, mentorship, exposure, and opportunities to create sustainable businesses and, in doing so, uplift others. NBCC has, for nearly five decades, fostered trade and investment between Nigeria and the United Kingdom and WYEDI is an extension of that legacy because sustainable economic growth starts with empowered people. Let us continue to build together, not just businesses, but legacies that transcend generations," he said.
The Director-General of NBCC, Dr. Ebere Njoku, highlighted that for over 45 years, the NBCC had served as a bridge between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, promoting bilateral trade, investment, and enterprise. Njoku mentioned that the chamber, through the WYEDI, was investing in the future of Nigeria by providing access to practical skills, mentorship, and economic opportunities. She noted that the NBCC in just two cohorts had trained over 300 young entrepreneurs across various vocational fields, with a strong focus on creativity, sustainability, and business development.
Njoku lauded the 125 cohorts and two graduates for completing their 16 weeks of hands-on training and two weeks of industry immersion. She urged the Cohort 3 inductees to step into the transformative experience. "Over the coming weeks, you will gain skills in trades such as fashion, hairdressing, photography, arts and crafts, confectionery, makeup artistry, and more. Alongside would be workshops in financial literacy, digital marketing, legal structures, and business development and this is more than a training; it is a launchpad. We are also proud to introduce a tech training track, responding to the growing demand for digital and technology-enabled skills across sectors," she said.