Empowering the youth of Nigeria

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The Council for Youth Empowerment recently held an award ceremony for the winners of the Small and Medium Scale Business Proposal competition. The Council for Youth Empowerment is non profit vehicle to empower young Nigerian entrepreneurs by giving them the capital to fund worthy ventures. The Council was set up by the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The winners were presented with cheques at a ceremony in Abuja earlier this month.

Aboyowa Etchie, won the first prize with his proposal on a fish farm. Ikechukwu Anthony Ndibe won second prize for his proposal on producing locally made wigs for sale to Law School graduands at a cheaper cost than imported wigs.

Both winners received 750,000 Naira to start up their businesses. They will also receive business start up assistance and mentoring by members of the Council which includes Otto Williams who has an MBA from the University of California in Berkeley and has passed through the Haas school of Business. Pastor Mike Iyoke, a Youth Pastor and head of Michael Iyoke Ministries based in Benin. Pastor Iyoke is also a lawyer with 10 years post call experience. Also on the Council is Malam Salihu Lukman, a Nigerian reformist and youth enthusiast.

The event was chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi and also featured an inspiring key note speech to the youths by Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

“I want to seize this opportunity to thank all youths who participated in the Small and Medium Scale Business Proposal competition organized by The Council on Youth Empowerment which is a non profit body I set up to empower Nigerian youths in business as a direct affirmation of my belief that Nigeria will not grow rich by what is under the ground rather her wealth will come for what is between her peoples ears particularly the youth.

Let me add that my belief in the youth of Nigeria is total and I make a commitment today to always lend myself and my talents to any venture that will promote positive virtues in Nigeria’s youth.

At this stage, I will want to thank Reno Omokri, the CEO of the Council, who conceived of the Business Proposal contest and members of the Council led by the Chairman of the Board, Otto Williams for lending their invaluable time and intellect towards developing the Project and the Council as a whole.

To build Nigeria we need to build her youth.” says El Rufai.

El Rufai went on to explain that the Council, though independent of himself, is not a one-off event, rather it is a foundation which is part of a process which will not cease to function as long as there is poverty in Nigeria. With this Council playing its small part along with other like minded institutions and individuals, it is hoped to bid farewell to poverty in Nigeria in the coming decades.