Entrepreneurship organization profers solution to unemployment in Nigeria

folarin okunola

October 21, 2015 5:25 PM

The outcry for young entrepreneurs in Africa makes headline in daily news and the spotlight is now on student entrepreneurs who will be empowered to graduate as job makers and not job seekers.

A.Y.E officials with VP Osinbajo

The President of Africa's Young Entrepreneurs (AYE) and his delegation visited the vice president to exchange views with him on its programs on youth empowerment and youth development in Nigeria as a solution for unemployment.

According to the President of the organization, Mr. Summy Francis, the visit is to discuss its strategies as an organization on how to enhance and develop young entrepreneurs in Nigeria through its newly launched AYESA initiative.

He said the need for the Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs Students Association (AYESA) emerged from the lack of Jobs to match the number of brilliant graduates produced annually across the county. The outcry for young entrepreneurs in Africa makes headline in daily news and the spotlight is now on student entrepreneurs who will be empowered to graduate as job makers and not job seekers. This in itself will help reduce the unemployment rate in Nigeria, he said.

The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo in his response embraced the A.Y.E.S.A initiative and also requested that African Young Entrepreneurs focus their attention on skills training to tackle the challenge of graduate unemployment in the continent.

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Prof Osinbajo said there was a knowledge challenge compounded by the dearth of professionals to impart skills’ training to others. He then commended A.Y.E for its initiatives to promote the economy of Africa, noting that with such coming from the youth, there is hope for the continent.

He urged the delegation to be in the vanguard of the fight against corruption as means of removing obstacles to doing business. According to Osinbajo, the Muhammadu Buhari administration is trying to fight corruption to clean up the business environment but it needs partners, especially the youth. He said this could be achieved if entrepreneurs did more to expose the act as well as those who ask for bribe.

“You have to deal with corruption as a business obstacle. You have to set up a programme to fight corruption as part of your activities and the best way to fight the menace is to report it,’’ he advised.

“Let your group also show zero tolerance to corruption,’’ he added.

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