Getty Images/ US Ambassador to Nigeria |
The US Ambassador to Nigeria,
Stuart Symington, on Monday urged Nigerians to always invest in entrepreneurial
development in order to promote meaningful economic growth in the country.
Symington gave the
advice while addressing participants at the one-day forum to commemorate the
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) organised by the US Embassy and LeadPreneur,
an NGO, in Abuja.
GEW is an
international initiative established in 2008 as a result of enterprise week in
United Kingdom and entrepreneurship week USA 2007 to encourage young people
participating in entrepreneurial ventures.
The envoy said
that the call had become important because entrepreneurship was an economic
concept that could be used to encourage people to develop and
manage business and other ventures.
According to
Symington, Nigeria is a strong nation, but the government alone cannot provide
all the services required to grow its economy, therefore, the need to invest in
entrepreneurial ventures.
Symington said:
“If there is anything I observed about Nigeria it is habit of people seeking
value for money, which is what entrepreneurship is all about, in terms of
connecting people.
“Entrepreneurship
is what Nigeria really needs under democratic dispensation; citizens have to be
entrepreneurial, not just for themselves, but also in promotion of nation
building.
“Think of your
country and customers before your company and yourself; ask yourself every day,
am I creating something of value than it costs more to create?
“To do well as
entrepreneurs you must find a better way to do well to succeed, not just in
your business, but for the citizens of Nigeria to maximise profits.
“As citizens of a
democratic nation, you have to be entrepreneurial, not just thinking for
yourselves, but for interest of your country and your customers, before
yourself.”
He decried lack of
mentoring of young people on entrepreneurship to promote entrepreneurial
growth, saying that “If you think that entrepreneurship is all about profit
making, you get it wrong”.
The envoy,
however, urged the participants to create more room for mentoring young people
in entrepreneurship to reduce unemployment and enable them to be self-reliant.
The head of
LeadPreneur, Taofeek Babayeju, said the entrepreneurial forum was born out of
the need to reduce unemployment in the country.
According to
Babayeju, job creation is not exclusive to government alone, there is need to
invest entrepreneurial development of the youth population to be able to
achieve target.
“Great nations are
built by great leaders, but the prosperity of the nation can only be achieved
through the involvement of entrepreneurs in driving the economy.
“Government has to
create enabling environment while we need to be in driver’s seat by taking
charge of entrepreneurial ventures,” he said.
The News Agency of
Nigeria reports that the GEW is designed to bring entrepreneurs, investors,
policy makers, researchers and educators together, to discuss way forward and
promote national entrepreneurship campaign.
The high point of
the event was panel discussions, question and answer sessions, and power point
presentation on proper ways to promote entrepreneurial growth.
0 Comments