Ten (10) tech start up with viable businesses will be enjoying business support services and 20 female techprenuers will be enjoying soft loan going into the new year, this, The Generation Next Youth Empowerment Summit (TGNYES) has facilitated.
The beneficiaries emerged from the 2017 edition of TGNYES held recently in Abuja Nigerian youths drawn from the six geopolitical Zones of the country.
The Summit, an initiative of Elbativeni Foundation and Elbativeni Impressions and Consult had in attendance; angel investors, business developers, notable dignitaries with motivational speakers including, His Excellency, Ambassador Leopoldo Rovayo Verdesoto, of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Ecuador to Nigeria, and Nigerian Communications Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman’s (EVC) Senior representative, Ms Olawaiye Olasumbo.
Others were: MD of Nanet group, Mr Ini Akpabio; Nigeria’s Former Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr.; CEO of Elbativeni Foundation and Elbativeni Impresions and Consult, Ms Destiny Ruth Obiakoeze; CEO of O&S Services, Mr Oba Boniface, CEO of Media Range Ltd, Mr Hassan Abdul; Flex NG’s Mr Kabir Bayo Shittu; Ocean Hill’s Mr Chinonso Opurum; Speaker Arnold Pms Arnold Ayomide Afolayan amongst others.
The Project’s mission to build youth leaders and empower them with right resources, world class speakers, job opportunities, grants, loan facilities, entrepreneurship ideas and available physical gifts and tools to enhance their lives.
According to the Nigeria’s former minister of information, Mr Frank Nweke Jr. who was ‘Success Icon’ for the forum appreciated the the organisers as partners in Nigeria’s development and emphasized that “I say this because more often than not, we find many people who believe that they have no role to play in national development. So when I meet young people like Destiny and her team who envision this kind of empowerment programmes and it has encouraged others on what must be done; one must duff his hats, one must respect them. So I pay my due respect to them”.
He spurred on participants to ask themselves hard questions and stressed on the need for passion and drive and the desire to push against all odds noting that he had faced challenges over the course of 7 years, implementing an idea that would employ over 15000 people.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to Nigeria, H.E Leopoldo R Verdesoto shared varied experiences both as a diplomat, professionally and personally.
According to him, “I have served abroad in three different places, all of them nice from my point of view but they were considered not easy. One of the fact that I carry my career and I am very proud of it is some people didn’t want to go to the places that they had offered me to go but I say okay because for me, it’s a privilege to serve my country and I go! No Wahala on it”
The Managing Director of Nanet Group and Nanet Hotels, Mr Ini Akpabio, success Icon of the maiden edition and patron of the Summit spoke on “The roles of youths in a united Nigeria”. He raised salient issues of unity stressing that Nigeria had lots of things threatening to divide her.
Speaking on some of the take home for youths at the Summit Mr Ini Akpabio said “The Youths are very powerful so the first thing they must do is to recognize their power. The youths don’t know how powerful they are. In exercising their power, they will be able to make changes. The changes I have been advocating are those that can be embedded in our constitution. We should have a percentage set aside…maybe like 25%, and say that at all levels of governance, that 25% must go to the youths; defined as people between the ages of 15 to 35.
He spurred on participants to ask themselves hard questions and stressed on the need for passion and drive and the desire to push against all odds noting that he had faced challenges over the course of 7 years, implementing an idea that would employ over 15000 people.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to Nigeria, H.E Leopoldo R Verdesoto shared varied experiences both as a diplomat, professionally and personally.
According to him, “I have served abroad in three different places, all of them nice from my point of view but they were considered not easy. One of the fact that I carry my career and I am very proud of it is some people didn’t want to go to the places that they had offered me to go but I say okay because for me, it’s a privilege to serve my country and I go! No Wahala on it”
The Managing Director of Nanet Group and Nanet Hotels, Mr Ini Akpabio, success Icon of the maiden edition and patron of the Summit spoke on “The roles of youths in a united Nigeria”. He raised salient issues of unity stressing that Nigeria had lots of things threatening to divide her.
Speaking on some of the take home for youths at the Summit Mr Ini Akpabio said “The Youths are very powerful so the first thing they must do is to recognize their power. The youths don’t know how powerful they are. In exercising their power, they will be able to make changes. The changes I have been advocating are those that can be embedded in our constitution. We should have a percentage set aside…maybe like 25%, and say that at all levels of governance, that 25% must go to the youths; defined as people between the ages of 15 to 35.
Earlier in her welcome address, the CEO of Elbativeni Foundation and Elbativeni Impressions And Consult the hosting organizations of the youth Summit, Ms Destiny Ruth Obiakoeze, explained that the youth Summit was to bring people of different sectors and proffer ideas and actions capable of helping the young people move forward.
Nigerian Communication Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) who was represented by the Principal Manager in the public affairs department, Ms Olasumbo Olawaiye said that since the youths make up a huge percentage of the telecom consumers ‘the Generation Next Youth Empowerment Summit’ was indeed a great platform to enlighten them on the various telecom issues.
The Commission had earlier in March 2017 flagged off the ‘year of the Telecom Consumer Campaign’ focused on the needs and satisfaction of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer of which part of its purpose is to inform and educate the consumer with the sole intent of protecting and empowering them to make the right decisions and from unfair practices of network operators.
In a session on Brand Power, the CEO of Media Range Ltd, Mr Hassan Abdul taught that there were series of things that were important to becoming more marketable as personal and business brands and it is indeed important to increase performances in them. Attributes that differentiate individuals and business in the industry must be developed and improved.
According Mr Hassan Abdul, Personal branding can accelerate communications strategy, ease career transitions, increases long term career and business objectives as well as expected outcomes.
He spoke on the essence of communications and branding to individuals and business and how to leverage its capacities in life and business.
Mr. Peter Oluka, IT Correspondent with the Nigerian Communications Week coordinated the ‘opportunities Panel‘ with CEO of MicroFlex,-Mr Kabil Shittu; CoFounder of Ocean Hill, Mr Nonso Oprum; Representative of Elbativeni Foundation, Ms Biodun Ogundipe where opportunities for soft loans, Business support services and ICT Training for women were offered participants.
The last session was the Google Digital Skills for Africa session facilitated by the CEO of the hosting company and foundation- Elbativeni Impressions and Consult and Elbativeni Foundation., Ms Destiny Ruth Obiakoeze.
Some of the other success stories from the forum was free admission for participants at the summit, exposure to world class resources, facilitators and renowned motivational speakers.
