NACCIMA Urges Youths to Leverage Heritage, Technology for Growth

The National Coordinator of NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs (NYE), Dr. Sameera Abubakar Abdullahi, has challenged Nigerian youths to harness technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and the nation’s cultural heritage to build sustainable enterprises and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Dr. Abdullahi, who also hosted the 2026 International Youth Day Summit, made the call in Abuja during her welcome address at the two-day summit organised by the NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs.

The summit, held on August 26 and 27 at the ECOWAS Building, 114 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja, brought together young entrepreneurs, policymakers, business leaders, innovators, development partners, academics and other stakeholders.

With the theme, “From Cultural Roots to Green Shoots: Leveraging Technology, Heritage & Policy for Youth-led Sustainable Development,” the gathering focused on practical ways young Nigerians could convert cultural identity, indigenous knowledge and emerging technologies into viable economic opportunities.

Dr. Abdullahi said Nigeria’s growing youth population should be regarded not merely as beneficiaries of government programmes but as active partners in shaping the country’s future.

She called for an enabling environment that would give young entrepreneurs improved access to mentorship, finance, technology, markets and supportive policies.

According to her, Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge remain valuable assets that young people can combine with innovation to create products and services capable of competing locally and internationally.

She added that the summit was designed to move beyond speeches by connecting participants with policymakers, investors, business leaders and development partners.

Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Special Assistant to the President on Youth Initiatives, Dr. Mrs. Titi Oge, urged young Nigerians to move beyond admiring technology, culture and government policies and learn how to deploy them for measurable results.

She said the concept of leveraging required deliberate action, innovation and the ability to achieve greater outcomes with available resources.

Dr. Oge challenged entrepreneurs to adopt technology in solving practical business problems, particularly in distribution, financing, customer management and market access.

She also urged young people to understand government policies and available intervention programmes so they could take advantage of opportunities whenever they arose.

Citing Nollywood and Afrobeats, she said Nigerian youths had already demonstrated how cultural assets could be transformed into globally recognised economic opportunities.

She also identified the traditional Igbo apprenticeship system, popularly known as Igba Boy, as an indigenous model of business incubation that could be adapted to contemporary entrepreneurship.

The presidential aide advised young entrepreneurs to formalise their businesses, protect intellectual property and take advantage of available digital infrastructure.

She further encouraged them to explore opportunities under the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund and other relevant government initiatives, stressing that entrepreneurs must position themselves to benefit from policies designed to support them.

In his remarks, Mr. Tony Oladiran, representing the Chief Executive Officer of Goody Chemicals Limited, Engr. Godwin Etem, declared the summit open and urged young Nigerians to take responsibility for creating opportunities.

Oladiran said Nigeria’s youthful population remained one of its greatest national assets but warned that demographic advantage alone would not guarantee development without deliberate investment in skills, productivity and innovation.

He urged youths not to wait to be rescued but to prepare themselves through learning, hard work, creativity and practical skills.

“Learn, work, build and innovate,” he said, advising young Nigerians not to be ashamed of starting small.

He added that while academic certificates remained important, young people must also acquire digital knowledge, practical skills and problem-solving abilities to remain competitive.

Oladiran called on businesses and industry leaders to support youths through mentorship, internships, training, partnerships and improved access to markets.

Also speaking, the Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Merosole J. Mellejor, expressed support for Nigerian youths and called for stronger collaboration, networking and access to resources.

He urged young people to remain confident, draw strength from their cultural roots and embrace opportunities created by technology and innovation.

The ambassador also identified Nigeria’s mineral resources and productive sectors as areas with enormous potential for job creation, enterprise development and reduced dependence on imports.

He stressed the need for sustainable development that meets present needs without compromising the opportunities of future generations.

Meanwhile, the broader NACCIMA vision for youth entrepreneurship was reinforced at the NEXUS 2026 gathering, where the National President of NACCIMA, Engr. Jani Ibrahim, OON, mni, described the platform as a bridge between high-level economic agreements and practical commercial opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

He said the initiative was designed to open pathways for young businesses and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to benefit from opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The NACCIMA leadership identified heritage, technology and innovation as key pillars for moving young entrepreneurs from capacity building to market access.

Speakers at the summit agreed that Nigeria’s youthful population must be transformed into a productive force through stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, business associations, educational institutions, development partners and young entrepreneurs.

The two-day gathering therefore provided a platform for discussions on how cultural heritage could be converted into economic value, technology into business opportunities and public policy into sustainable development.

For Dr. Sameera Abdullahi and the NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs, the message was clear: Nigerian youths must acquire relevant skills, build enterprises, embrace innovation, understand public policy and actively participate in shaping the future they desire.

The summit placed youth entrepreneurship at the centre of Nigeria’s development conversation, linking cultural heritage with innovation, technology with enterprise and policy with sustainable growth.

By Sophina Ovuike, Abuja 

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