House of Reps Hosts Enterprise Summit with Youth Entrepreneurs

House of Reps Hosts Enterprise Summit with Youth Entrepreneurs

…Speaker Abbas, Rep. Martins Esin, Others Emphasize Entrepreneurial Drive for National Growth

John NTEKIM

The House of Representatives on Monday hosted the Enterprise Nexus Summit, a high-level engagement designed to strengthen Nigeria’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and expand opportunities for young innovators.

Held at the National Assembly complex, the event brought together lawmakers, policy drivers, business leaders and youth entrepreneurs, and also featured the presentation of financial support to youth-owned enterprises courtesy of the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, PhD, GCON.

The Speaker, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, CFR, described the summit as a platform for analyzing critical policy gaps and improving institutional support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

In his opening remarks, the Chairman, House Committee on Youth Development, Rep. Martins Esin, said the summit indicates the Speaker’s deliberate effort to provide real support to young entrepreneurs and to directly address the daily challenges they face.

He noted that the 10th House has consistently prioritized youth development in its legislative agenda, and that the forum aligns with its commitment to engage young Nigerians and listen to their concerns.

Rep. Esin who represents Oron/Mbo/Okobo/Udung Uko/Urueoffong Oruko Federal Constituency further highlighted the Speaker’s sustained advocacy for the proposed National Youth Welfare Scheme Fund, which aims to institutionalize structured support for hardworking and talented young Nigerians, expressing optimism that “conversations at the summit would yield practical solutions to ease the challenges facing SMEs and reinforce the Federal Government’s ongoing youth-focused efforts under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”

Also speaking at the event, the representative of the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), lauded the creativity and drive of Nigerian youths but lamented that many still encounter deep structural obstacles on their journey to sustainable livelihoods. He warned that the growing threat of drug abuse continues to undermine both individual potential and the country’s collective future.

The summit featured robust discussions from leading voices in the public and private sectors, including Dr. Tony Luka Elumelu, a Director at ECOWAS; Mr. Ajayi Joshua Oluwatobi, CEO of Nord Motion; Mr. Keith Mali, Chairman of AFEN Group; and Mr. Araoluwa Popoola, CEO of Aramanda International Couture Ltd.

Others were chief executives of government agencies and financial institutions including Mr. Ade Braimo, CEO of Alpha Morgan Bank; Ms. Tola Odiyemi, Postmaster General/CEO of NIPOST; Feyishade Olorunyomi, MD/CEO of Dillon Microfinance Bank; and Nonye Ayeni, ED/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).