By Uche Kalu
Technology has a big role to play in our social life, business, economy as well as security. The maiden edition of The Pivot Conference which held in Awka has ended with a call for students, businessmen, stakeholders as well as investors to leverage on technology and explore many opportunities that abound in Southeast, Nigeria.
The event which held at
Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Secretariat, Nnamdi Azikiwe
University, Awka with the theme: "From Challenges to Opportunities:
Unveiling the Potentials in South-East Nigeria through Social Innovation,
featured experts from different fields, students, government officials,
journalists among many others.
Speaking at the conference, the
Special Adviser to Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo on Security
Matters, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Ben Chiobi advised youths to resist the ‘japa
syndrome’ and explore opportunities in the country.
AVM Chiobi who noted that there
are many opportunities of making money
in Nigeria, particularly in the Southeast more than what obtained in Western
countries, advised youths to avail themselves of opportunities for
mentoring. He emphasised that the only
way to succeed in the ICT generation was to be creative and not be a copycat.
Speaking on the topic, "Fostering Youth-led Impact Entrepreneurship as a Catalyst for Growth," Regional Coordinator, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Chito Onuzulike said SMEs are a crucial component of the economy.
Mrs Chito who is an Engr,
emphasized that mindset, action, and process are the three ingredients of
entrepreneurship that are crucial to doing business in the country, noted that by collaborating with partners,
businesses can leverage shared resources, infrastructure, and capabilities,
leading to optimized processes and increased productivity in the land.
The Managing Director of
Anambra State Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Agency,
Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata explained that many opportunities abound in the ICT sector.
Mr Agbata, a technology expert noted that without
innovative spirit, teamwork, and partnership, one may find it hard to succeed
in the business.
Also speaking, the Chief
Executive Officer, Sealcore Global Ltd,
Precious Obimdi, explained that the system in Nigeria is designed to strangle
younger entrepreneurs and stop them from thriving in their businesses, stressed
that partnerships with governments, agencies, and bigger establishments are
ways of staying afloat and making impacts on human lives.
Mr. Obimdi who spoke on
"Impact Driven Entrepreneurship: Turning Local Solutions into Globally
Scalable Businesses," shared insights on how to harness the power of innovation and passion
to create businesses that not only thrive locally but have the potential to
make a global impact.
He further stated that doing
business in the southeast is challenging due to insecurity and other challenges
but maintained that one can explore, discover what is not working, and turn
same into a thriving global venture.
Banking expert, Tochukwu
Nwokediuko, disclosed that in Nigeria, over 65 percent of businesses do not
survive the first three years after set up due to poor access to funding and
credit facilities, lack of planning and poor financial literacy on the part of
some business owners in the country.
Mr Nwokediuko emphasized the
powers of partnership and collaboration, noting that the ability to understand
and factor in them will define successful businesses in times to come.
The Regional Pastor of Dominion
City, Awka, Pastor Jude Obiekwe said the challenges are money in the making.
"For every problem in the southeast, there is a direct opposite
opportunity. The more the problem, the more the opportunity to create wealth;
the easier the lesser. Adversity is the cultivator of innovation. You cannot be
a champion except you fight battles," he explained.
Earlier, Executive Director of
the Pivot, Barr Ifedi Eze, lamented that the past half-decade has been a period
bedeviled with socioeconomic problems that have impacted negatively on the
economic indices of the Eastern region.
He therefore urged the
citizenry to leverage technology and reap the inexhaustible opportunities it
holds and how tech can help solve most of the problems in the society today.
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