Why Nigerian youths need entrepreneurial orientation – Nwosu

…..Plans training for 30 million Boys Brigade members
Nigerian youth have cause to be glad as the youth organisation for Boys, the boys Brigade of Nigeria is committed to erecting entrepreneurial training center to equip Nigeria’s budding youths with quality skills that would prepare them for the future.

The BB is an international and inter-denominational organization started in Scotland in 1883 and came to Lagos in 1908 and cuts across the entire block of the world.

The incoming president of the BB, Sir Sunny Nnwosu, disclosed recently in Lagos during a pre inauguration press briefing, that empowering youth with quality education, skills and knowledge of righteous behavior has remained the focus of the youth organization that is spread across schools and religious organizations.

He added that ensuring that Nigerian children and youths become financial savvy, and the completion of national secretariat of the BB in Abuja Municipal Council would be part of key focus of his tenure as president of the Christian uniformed youth organization for boys.

Sir Sunny Nwosu, whose induction as the national president of the BB Nigeria is scheduled for Sunday 27th August 2017 at the St Ferdinand Catholic Church, Boys Town Ipaja Lagos, said that the investiture ceremony will be crowned with launch of N100 million Brigade Development fund, which will be deployed towards continue work on the national headquarters in Abuja, entrepreneurial development center, fencing its 4.5 acres of land and strengthening youth empowerment ventures.

Nwosu said that the funds would be used to complete its national headquarters in Abuja and for the development of its vocational centres in Abuja and Lagos.

He said that the Aug. 27 investiture at St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, Ipaja, Lagos would be used to raise funds for the identified infrastructural developments for the advancement of the BB, and youths.

“We want to mound a future for youths with the fear of God because without fear of God many things will go wrong in the country,’’ he said.

Nwosu, who is also the founder of the Independent Shareholders Association (ISAN), said he would leverage on the capital market and other sectors of the economy to raise the N100 million.

“The investiture is to raise the value of the Brigade. My tenure is for three years and I want it to be eventful because we will leverage on the capital market and other sectors of the economy to raise the money,” he said.

He revealed that the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who has remained committed to youth empowerment will serve as the father of the day on the investiture ceremony, while a frontline the president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, is also expected as the guest of honour at the installation ceremony on August 27th.

He said that as the seventh president of the Brigade, part of his agenda would be to catch-them-young to reduce the decadence in the society.

He blamed parents for not bringing their children up in the way of the Lord, noting that the decadence in the society could be linked living ungodly life.

At the evet graced by graced by chairman local organizing committee of the investiture, Mr. Bisi Onodipe, National Secretary of the BB Nigeria, Mr. Sunday Magwe, National Secretary, Mr. Festus Adeniyi among others, Nwosu said that the Boys Brigade is committed to development of vocational center for empowerment of youth to enhance their knowledge on earnings as well as power of investing, hence information drives the Nigerian capital market.

“I have actually been talking to members about the capital market,, you are all living witnesses to what has happened to the capital market from 2007 to present day, it is very discouraging to get people to turn in whatever capital they have into the capital market, the organization I belong to, we have always been trying to convince people to invest in the market, therefore I cannot isolate the Boys Brigade from that understanding”.

According to the president of the BB to be inducted next Sunday the forth coming investiture in Lagos is the first time such event is taking place in Lagos for the past 60 years, for an organization that was founded in Glasgow Scotland on 4th October 1883 by Sir William Alexander Smith, and inaugurated in Nigeria in 1908.

He said that out of the 30 million BB members in Nigeria scattered across 36 states of the federation, 2 million are in Lagos and the majority are youths as entrant age is 3 years.

The youthful population, he said would be enhanced for effective development of the nation’s economy through financial inclusion and target education on financial management, savings, capital market education and entrepreneurship development of the large youthful population.

He said that irrespective of the challenges in the capital market, he has continued to advance the benefits of investing in the market.

“ Formerly, we use capital market products as gifts for new born babies, such products as share purchase for new born, but developments in the market has negated such practices.

He said that buying shares now for children in their names would ne falsified by BVN, which ensures that proceeds from the investment will not be paid directly into the kids account name, and such dividends in children’s names for shares bought for them by their parents are prevalent in many homes. “For such transaction to reflect in the child’s name, such beneficiary must attain the age of 18”, he said.

The intention for youth empowerment via saving in capital market is to poach and get the young ones because the youths are very relevant to Nigerians socio economic and political developments.

We are also looking at what we met on ground to see if we have to make some adjustments to improve on them.

On a good count, the boys’ brigade members should be about 30 million, and Lagos state has almost 2 million members, across 36 states with the federal capital which is so promising,

This was in tandem with what the national secretary of Boys Brigade, Mr. Sunday Magwe earlier statement that the objective of the Boys Brigade Nigeria as uniformed youth organization is advancement of God’s kingdom among boys.

He said that the organization is structured and networks across the 36 states of Nigeria, West Africa, Africa and the globe.
According to him, membership of the organization starts from three years and has no age barrier.

“Before now, there was no secretariat, but anew one was started by the last administration in AMAC Abuja, which the new president has committed to devote greater energy to.

The BB general secretary revealed that in the last 60 years, there has not been BB’s national investiture in Lagos, ad that the vocational training Centre to be built by the BB is to help boys secure meaningful earnings through.

Mr. Magwe, emphasized that the objective of the Brigade IS the advancement of God’s kingdom.