The inability of Nigerian youth to set
their priorities right is responsible
for their inability to run successful
enterprises.
This was brought to the fore recently
by speakers at the second ICcube
National Youth Training Conference
and Job/Enterprise Fair. The three-
day event took place at the Alfred
Martins and Enuha Halls of the St.
Leo Catholic Church, Toyin Street,
Ikeja, Lagos.
Quality speakers from different fields
were at the event to provide tips on
Employability, Job Sustainability and
Entrepreneurial Realities of the
Nigerian Youth in the 21st Century
Global Economy: Winning in
Business and Career.
Chairman of the event, Senator Kola
Bajomo, observed that with such a
programme, arresting restiveness in
the country was an achievable feat.
Rev. Tunde Afe, Chief Executive
Officer (CEO), Faithway Business
School, noted that “government does
not have the best interest of the
youth at heart,” stressing that a lot
of government policies did not
favour youths.
He insisted that the failure rate of
enterprises in Nigeria was high,
adding that most of the businesses
that succeeded in advanced
countries would fail in Nigeria. He
argued that banks’ conditions were
not favourable to the youths.
“If one wants to go into business,
the first step is to have a guiding
vision. Write it down and give
yourself a definite time with plus
and minus. The vision would
automatically help discipline you. In
the process of starting, there are
people who would support you
financially. You must lead yourself
through self-control, determination
and discipline,” he said.
The keynote speaker, Mr. Olakunle
Soriyan, CEO, OSC, bemoaned the
clarity of ideas bedeviling many
young people. He tasked
participants on the need to build
structures, such as laws and
principles to govern their behaviour.
“People are not suffering
unemployment but employability,”
he asserted.
Also speaking, Professor Pat Utomi x-
rayed how society had progressed in
the place of entrepreneurship,
noting that each of them could play
a role in sustained
entrepreneurship.
He said rich men didn’t choose
money but desired to change the
world in a fundamental way. He
asserted that many that were rich
yesterday were penniless today.
He said: “Your living must have a
meaning, no matter what you do. If
you do it well by creating values in
the society, you will live well.”
“We rely so much on strong men
rather than strong institutions. Most
countries that had sustained
institutions were through policies
and law. 419 has consequences of
how all of us engage in business
across the globe.”
He berated the high cost of doing
business in Nigeria, adding that
institutions didn’t allow Nigerian
businessmen to thrive compared
with their counterparts in other
countries.
Utomi canvassed that institutions
must be empowered to be
revolutionary in order to allow
youths progress. He also noted that
many could not build successful
businesses because they wanted
instant gratification.
At the panel session, Mr. Femi
Adesina, President, Nigeria Guild of
Editors (NGE) and Managing
Director/Editor-in-Chief, The Sun
Publishing Limited, dwelt on issues
pertaining to the traditional media
while Mr. Chris Udeji, CEO, Adibba
Online, discussed the new media.
The second group of panelists were
Zeb Ejiro, a popular filmmaker, and
Owen Osemwengie, a comedian. The
two focused on entertainment and
show business.
Taking the first shot, Adesina, who
has been in the mainstream media
for 27 years, shared his experiences
from his days in Lagos Television as
a current affairs officer to his stints
in the Vanguard, The Concord and
The Sun where, as pioneer editor of
Daily Sun, he helped nurture the
newspaper to enviable heights
within one year. He urged the
youths to remain consistent in
whatever they believed in. “You
need God in whatever you do. There
is a God-factor to every success,” he
stressed.
A participant complained that she
was turned down by an advertising
firm because she didn’t study Mass
Communication. But Adesina said:
“The firm did not want to invest in
human capital development. Mr.
Biodun Shobanjo did not study
advertising, but he is doing a lot in
the industry.”
Speaking on internship, he noted:
“There are too many institutions,
producing Mass Communication
graduates. The experience of
internship is pathetic because there
is a wide gulf between the gown and
the town. Nevertheless, every
organisation must play its role in
this regard. The solution to
joblessness in the country boils
down to entrepreneurship.”
He tasked organisations to imbibe
the act of training young graduates,
who have a passion for the job
rather than relying on paper
qualification.
Mr. Udeji agreed with Adesina. He
urged participants to follow their
beliefs and passion. He charged
those with the knowledge of website
design to be more creative.
Speaking on what informed the
initiative that is now eight years old,
founder of ICcube International, Mr.
Charles Ajiboye, explained: “The
import of the idea stems from what
is happening among young people
today, who have passion and energy
without direction.”
“It is either their parents don’t have
information, time or that economic
power has limited them. In order to
change that, we decided to work on
their thought processes so as to
reduce their nuisance and ignorance
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