Nigerian youths have been called upon to cultivate confidence, remain focused and take advantage of emerging opportunities, saying the future of the country’s economy depends largely on their capacity to translate ideas, skills and talents into productive ventures.

A statement issued yesterday noted that the Lead Pastor of Victory Life Bible Church International (VLBC), Apostle Lawrence Achudume, gave the charge during an entrepreneurship empowerment programme by the chaurch.
Achudume was quoted as saying that the growing difficulty of securing conventional employment makes it imperative for young people to look beyond white-collar jobs and develop entrepreneurial capacities capable of creating livelihoods and employment opportunities.

According to him, entrepreneurship should not be viewed merely as an alternative to formal employment, but as a vehicle for wealth creation, self-reliance and economic transformation, particularly among young Nigerians.
The VLBC senior pastor stressed that genuine empowerment must go beyond the disbursement of funds, arguing that beneficiaries require the right guidance, discipline and business support to convert financial assistance into sustainable enterprises.

He said the initiative was part of the church’s effort to complement spiritual development with practical empowerment, adding that equipping people to become economically productive would ultimately strengthen families and communities.

Achudume commended the church’s Entrepreneurship Support and Development Committee (ESDC), under the leadership of its Chairman, Wole Elusakin, for identifying viable businesses and supporting entrepreneurs with the potential to expand their operations.

Meanwhile, Elusakin, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Pomegranate Nigeria Limited, said the committee deliberately adopted a non-interest loan model rather than outright grants to instil accountability and ensure that the intervention could benefit more entrepreneurs over time.

Elusakin explained that experience had shown that beneficiaries could sometimes treat grants as free money, thereby diverting funds from the purposes for which they were provided. According to him, beneficiaries are required to repay the principal without interest, while the recovered funds can subsequently be deployed to support other entrepreneurs with viable business propositions.

Elusakin said the scheme had recorded encouraging outcomes, noting that some previous beneficiaries had invested the funds in their businesses, achieved significant growth and repaid their loans, while others had expanded to a level where they no longer required additional financing.

He disclosed that millions of naira had been approved for beneficiaries under the latest phase of the intervention, covering entrepreneurs operating in different areas of business, with further applications subject to assessment of the viability and prospects of the ventures.

Beyond the financial intervention, Elusakin said the committee also provides guidance to beneficiaries, stressing that applicants are assessed on the nature of their businesses, their funding requirements, proposed utilisation of the funds and prospects for growth.

He urged entrepreneurs with viable business ideas and existing enterprises to take advantage of the opportunity, saying access to capital must be accompanied by proper planning, prudent management and a commitment to building sustainable businesses.

Beneficiaries of the latest intervention include Stephen Temitayo of Ojulowo Tailor, Adebisi Oluwakemi, Jeremiah Alade and Mo Glow Bubbles, among others.