Nigeria has no business with poverty – Elumelu
By Ahmad Sorondinki, Kano
Chief Tony Elumelu, the founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation, has said that Nigeria should have no business with poverty, if only concerned authorities deployed the needful policy strategy to explore deposited talents abound in the country.
Elumelu, made the statement at Bayero university in Kano, (BUK) while receiving Doctor of Business Administration Honoris causa by the university.
He said if the Federal Government would abolish multiple taxation for small and micro businesses, and ease process of doing business registration, the economy would further grow more what we have now.
The philanthropist, expressed worry over challenges of job opportunity deficit of enabling business environment, revealed his foundation’s commitment to collaborate with stakeholders to build millions of entrepreneurs in Africa.
He however, urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the rapid growth of the economy by creating job opportunities to our teeming unemployed youths in the Country.
He added that his foundation empower 1000 young entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria, just as he urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the economy to grow rapidly.
According to him, the new empowerment opportunity strictly reserved for young business-minded northerners will run for 12 weeks after which successful beneficiaries will receive $5,000 each to build their business empire.
“The Tony Elumelu Foundation has in the last five years supported 7,250 young entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Northern Nigeria has deposit of 1,000 of this number.
This new 1,000 entrepreneurs that will be selected in August is exclusive for youths from northern extraction.
“The initiative is to produce direct job opportunity and Business Empire among young talented youths in the North. While the private sector is supporting the youths, the Federal government should provide enabling environment. Our education must work, health sector should be improved upon. National prosperity cannot be achieved without wide spread empowerment.”
He added that, “Tony Elumelu Foundation is committed to helping young Nigerians—male, female; young Africans—male, female to get economically empowered, to give them economic hope, to help them feed themselves, their families and help their communities. There is a lot of unemployment around us.
“Today, you graduated 10, 000 people, the point is, are that are they going to get jobs. Are they going to be able to use their brain or use find ideas for developing themselves and their communities?
“The point is we know the level of unemployment have today in Nigeria. The President has recently said that he wants lead 100 million Nigerians out poverty.
“This is very commendable, and I want everyone of us to applaud him for that act, we have to commend him and support him.
All of us, the Federal Government, the state government, the Local Government, the private sector, wealthy Nigerians, friends of Nigerians must work together to make this happen.
“The Federal Government must create the enabling environment that will enable this succeed.
We cannot lift 100 million people out of poverty if we don’t have access to electricity, we cannot lift people out of poverty if the transportation system is not good; we can only achieve this when we have access to electricity and other social amenities.
“Another thing that is important is making sure that we grow our economy in a manner that is inclusive.
Our young ones need to be involved in what is happening in the country. Our women need to be also economically empowered and involved.”
Also speaking at the BUK convocation ceremony, the Pro-chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari urged the private sector to compliment government investment on education.
