"Engage relevant platforms, opportunities for young Nigerian entrepreneurs to thrive"

PRESS RELEASE BY COMRADE OLADOJA OLUSHOLA, AKA LADOJA NANS, ON JULY 5, 2019

Good day distinguished Comrades, lovely students, strong-spirited young business moguls, great intellectuals, royal fathers, my lord spiritual and temporal, our dynamic parents, fellow prosperous and peace-loving Nigerians, honourable members of the press, ladies and gentlemen. I salute you.

Speaker Oyo state

It is with a great sense of patriotism and deep love for Nigeria and its success that I present this briefing today. I am elated that despite the complex emergencies in our country, and the different political, ethnic and religious debates that heat the polity, Nigerians still consider it duty to pursue a unified path towards prosperity. It brings me so much joy that amidst the negative rhetoric of many iconoclasts, we always find beauty in our diversity. I boast today that despite some of the slackness of some privilege actors in Nigeria's leadership to present the youth population in good light, we have passionate actors who distinguish themselves by using the strength of their agency to demand opportunities for the youth. While many see the youth as the problem of our country, I beg to clarify not all youth are retrogressive; there are progressive youth that seek to make this nation proud and celebrated in the comity of nations. 

It, therefore, becomes imperative that political and social leaders, especially those within the elite class, recognise that many youths make themselves useful and veritable actors in promoting the prosperity course of our beloved country, Nigeria. Although there is an alarming rate of unemployment, poverty, and economic backwardness, many youths remain dogged and believe that ‘these challenges too shall pass away'. They have remained consistent in seeking opportunities to empower themselves and society and be useful resources for peace and progress in our country. These efforts need not go unrecognised. 

.The youth population, especially those active in the art and craft of business, need to be showcased before the world to promote their businesses and win popular international support for their products.

Given hindsight, I salute the courage of the Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, who very recently drummed international support for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, especially Nigeria. As he provided justifications for why developed countries should support the businesses of Nigerian youth at an international forum on “The Role of Youth in Parliamentarianism” organised by the State of Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in Moscow, Russia, he acknowledged and displayed the business potentials of the young population before the world. As he addressed over 800 lawmakers from over 131 countries, he averred that until substantial international support for businesses of young Nigerians is achieved, strategic collaboration towards addressing the challenges of insecurity, youth unemployment, violent extremism and radicalisation, and national retrogression will continue to remain a façade. 

The issues that he highlights are problems that affect all Nigerians; however, the effects are more striking with the youth. It is expedient that when the voices of young people seize to be heard because of the loud drums of sentiments and partisan politics that erodes our consciousness as citizens, selfless leadership who recognise the values that the youth contribute to society should speak up for them. This strategy provides an entry for world recognition of the creativity of the youth. It revives their dying agency and increases their access to colossal support and patronage from across the world. In many cases, all that young Nigerians need is platform and positive marketing. Rt. Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin has done not only small-scale businesses in Nigeria proud; he has displayed a pedigree that youth leadership in a country like Nigeria can indeed influence positive change across the world.

Distinguished Speaker, I congratulate you for the attainment of this feat and encourage you to do more. You have proven to grow beyond the lines of class sentiments, and believed in the struggle of young Nigerians, just like yourself. This selfless action re-affirms your respect for the trust and confidence that many Nigerians, especially the youth, have in you. With selfless leadership like yours, which creates effective platforms for the youth and amplify the reliability of their agency, there is a great deal of hope for the youth of our great country. 

As you have started on a good note, it remains sacrosanct that I task you to focus on being a strong force of change in the face of opposition and ‘elderly’ repression. Stay focused on the goal of youth empowerment, and you can be guaranteed of their continuous support. 

Finally, youth continue to remain a beautiful sector of the Nigerian society. They provide a stronghold and pillar for the future, thus, defining an effective positive channel for transitioning ethical values to the rest of the world and posterity. 

It is, therefore, imperative that we focus on presenting our country in good light, and remain respectable ambassadors of our country so that the labour of our ‘good' heroes from the past and the present will never be in vain. Continue to channel your energies to positive ventures and remain a blessing to our dear nation. 

God bless Nigeria!

Signed

Comrade Oladoja Olushola

AKA Ladoja NANS