World Youth Skills Day: Governor’s Wife tasks youths on entrepreneurship

The wife of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Patience Umo Eno, on Saturday, urged youths in Akwa Ibom State to appreciate the crucial role entrepreneurship plays in transforming unemployed individuals into employers of labour and embrace it.

Mrs. Patience Eno was addressing youths and entrepreneurs drawn from across the state who converged on the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, on the occasion of this year’s World Youth Skills Day.

Speaking on the theme: “ Youths and Entrepreneurial Skills in Our Society: Book Keeping, Pricing and Branding”, the wife of the governor reminded participants that the World Youth Skills Day is an annual event celebrated globally every 15th July to raise awareness and identify potential entrepreneurs among the youths.

Atmosfair Sav80 sensitizes A’Ibom women on mitigating impact of climate change

She said the event was therefore commemorated in the state to consider entrepreneurship beyond just creating an awareness about businesses to educating and equipping the youths on the right approach to job creation and entrepreneurial development.

“ We must democratize job creation and the most effective approach to accomplishing this by fostering the growth of entrepreneurs and equipping them with the necessary tools needed to succeed, thereby generating millions of jobs required to rescue our people from poverty”.

The governor’s wife reiterated that the present administration of Governor Umo Eno, in line with The ARISE Agenda, would encourage and support young people in pursuing their dreams by building their businesses and exploring opportunities in entrepreneurship in order for them to realize their full potentials and overcome Nigeria’s socio- economic challenges.

“ The Governor, under his ARISE Agenda, is committed to encourage young people to pursue entrepreneurial ventures. The ARISE Agenda will offer different layers of opportunities and boost their capacity”.

In a message at the event, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, noted that it would be wrong for any society to neglect its youths whom she described as the future of the progress and development of any human set up.

Senator Eyakenyi therefore, appreciated the wife of the governor for organising the event targeted at the right people which she noted became a platform for equipping entrepreneurs and the youths with the knowledge to build their businesses to stardom.

She noted the interest the state governor has in the youths of Akwa Ibom State and their growth, reiterating that the present administration had put plans in place to support and empower them to build their own businesses.

Speaking on one of the components of the theme, Book Keeping,  Itoro Akpama, an Akwa Ibom indigene and an entrepreneur, described Book Keeping as the blood pressure of any business and therefore, urged business owners to keep accurate records of their business activities to be able to measure growth or otherwise of their daily transactions.

Mmanti Umoh, another entrepreneur who expounded the concept of branding, said branding was not only limited to products, but also included the person selling or doing business.

Umoh told participants how branding could determine value of a product and the product’s owner, and therefore, urged them to embrace the concept and have a turn around in their businesses.

In a goodwill message, Evang. Ubong Ituen, an entrepreneur, thanked the wife of the governor for commemorating the World Youth Skills Day with the youths of Akwa Ibom.

He however stated that youths in the state were prepared to grow in their entrepreneurial endeavours and called on all Akwa Ibom youths to take the lead in business development.

There were other goodwill messages from the youths and entrepreneurs who thanked Pst Eno for gathering the youths for the programme.

Dignitaries, including the wife of the speaker,  Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs. Margaret Otong; the wife of the deputy speaker, Mrs. Enobong Edidem; the immediate past deputy speaker, AKHA, Mrs. Felicia Bassey; wife of the Head of Civil Service, Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Uduak Essien, past commissioners, among others, attended the event.