No fewer than 106 persons on Wednesday bagged the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Entrepreneurship Mentoring Programme(EMP) Certification. Mr Gabriel Idahosa, President, LCCI, noted at the graduation in Lagos that 14 other persons also bagged the LCCI-Lagos State University (LASU) Diploma in Entrepreneurship Certification. Idahosa, who was represented by Dr Chinyere Almona, Director-General, LCCI, described the EMP as not only a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative for LCCI but also an investment in the socio-economic future of Nigeria. The LCCI president advocated the power and importance of mentorship and knowledge sharing in shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy. He said the programme since inception had graduated about 600 mentees with each one making meaningful contributions to the Nigerian economy by creating jobs, fostering innovation, and increasing economic resilience.
Idahosa noted that Nigeria’s economy was expected to grow by 3 per cent in 2024, mainly driven by the non-oil sectors, such as manufacturing, agriculture, and digital services. He said as more young entrepreneurs engaged in these areas, they contributed to job creation and regional development, which are critical for Nigeria’s economic stability and progress. “The journey that brought our mentees here involves rigorous training, critical insights, and hands-on learning. Our graduates have been exposed to invaluable guidance from seasoned mentors, each of whom has provided support and guidance on key skills such as personal development, communication, negotiation, networking, and business planning. According to recent estimates, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contribute around 48 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employ about 84 per cent of the national workforce.
“Programmes like ours are, therefore, not just beneficial but essential to sustaining this momentum,” he said. Idahosa said that government’s emphasis on encouraging entrepreneurship, seen through initiatives such as the Central Bank’s Anchor Borrowers Programme aligned with the LCCI programme. He, however, stressed that more needed to be done as the chamber continued to advocate for policies that simplified business processes, improved access to finance, and reduced barriers to trade. Idahosa noted that the LCCI programme had successfully equipped mentees with the essential skills to navigate a challenging business environment. He urged the mentees to use the skills they had acquired such as personal development, communication, negotiation, networking, and the ability to create solid business plans to build successful business careers. Mrs Funlayo Bakare-Okeowo, Chairperson, Board of Business Education Service and Training (BEST) Unit, LCCI, noted that the graduation was the 11th edition and the first set of the LCCI-LASU entrepreneurship programmes. She said all the young entrepreneurs that had graduated from the scheme, continually promoted entrepreneurship development in the nation.
Bakare-Okeowo stated that the LCCI remained proud to contribute to the development of the economic impact of businesses, communities, and the nation at large. She said by providing the platform, the chamber was not only fostering meaningful sustainable growth but also empowering young people to provide solutions to global economic challenges. “The LCCI entrepreneurship programme is part of the chamber’s developmental initiative for the youth as a means of investing in their future thereby guaranteeing a better tomorrow. The entrepreneurship programme, we believe will mold and guide future generations of entrepreneurs as captains of industries in our nation and beyond. A lot has been put in place to ensure the success of this programme, with over 28 business management training sessions, business tours and clinics, local and international exhibitions, networking events and others.
“I specially laud Providus Bank for enabling the chamber scale up the programme delivery, both in quality and quantity, providing access to loans and grants, business networking, and promotion opportunities.
We also appreciate the Bank of Industry (BOI), Lagos Island Connect (LIC), Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and the faculty for your dedicated support to providing training resources, information and other needs to nurture these entrepreneurs,” she said.
