Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

Niger Delta Young Professionals, NDYP, has tasked the National Assembly to make legislation that would encourage entrepreneurship development in the country.
NDYP made the call at the 4th edition of the Niger Delta Micro, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises, MSME, Summit/Boot camp, in Port Harcourt to commemorate the 2024 World MSME Day with theme; ‘Building a Culture of Entrepreneurship and Self-Reliance Beyond Oil’.
The body urged the federal and state governments and Niger Delta leaders to create institutions that would give young people in the region opportunity to unleash their potentials.
Speaking, the Convener of the Summit and CEO of Mosilo Group, Mr. Moses Siasia, stressed the need for creation of a robust ecosystem that will support MSMEs, encourage and develop young people in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “This is what the world is talking about, how the young people have a culture of entrepreneurship, having business mindset, how they can create something from nothing to something. How to utilize available opportunities within our ecosystem.
“There should be a legislation for entrepreneurship development in the country. It has to be institutionalized.
“When I was growing up, I used to see skills acquisition centres but that’s not the case today. There must be deliberate efforts by the government and critical stakeholders to have institutions, training and capacity building centres that will develop the minds and energies of our young people.
“We are advocating that the government should come up with plans to constructively engage the minds of our youths, teach them about innovations, different skills and businesses they want to get involved in, this will stop them from going into crime.”
Siasia noted that the organisation has in the past three years empowered over 2000 persons to grow their businesses, through grants, credits, intervention funds, adding that they have also created over 15000 jobs in the nation.
Meanwhile, NDYP Coordinator, Gerald So-George said, the summit underscored the organisation’s commitment to harnessing the Niger Delta’s resources for a sustainable future.
He said: “As Nigeria moves towards economic diversification, there is an urgent need for the young population in the Niger Delta to embrace entrepreneurship. The government’s focus on diversifying the economy presents a golden opportunity for the region to pivot from its reliance on oil to innovative and sustainable business practices.
“Entrepreneurship, an often-overlooked goldmine, can provide sustainable livelihoods and economic growth far beyond the transient benefits of oil wealth. By nurturing creativity and innovation, we can address the region’s societal challenges and harness its immense potential.”