WORRIED by the crowding out and low empowerment of female entrepreneurs in the country, stakeholders have sought new measures to address challenges militating against the development of next generation of female entrepreneurs.

According to the stakeholders, there are concerns on the need for young female entrepreneurs in Nigeria to take courageous steps in creating and innovating businesses that will add value and impart global community.

Indeed, members of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Women Group and other stakeholders while speaking at the second edition of LCCI Women Group Conference tagged “Developing the Next Generation of Female Entrepreneurs”, noted that young female entrepreneurs lack the right mindset and boldness necessary for healthy businesses.

According to the stakeholders, women must leverage the opportunities provided by modern day technology to push their products to the world stage, adding that there was need for female entrepreneurs to see branding from an inclusive approach so as to promote the nation’s image positively.

Similarly, the stakeholders stressed the need for young female start-ups to be encouraged, properly mentored and allowed to launch into their dream even if they virtually had to start with small funding.

Former Lagos state Deputy Governor, Sarah Sosan said business decisions are risky and that until people inhabit the ability to take the risk and refuse to be overwhelmed by the fear of failure, entrepreneurs might not achieve their goals.

“Some of the challenges we have discovered is that young ladies lack the boldness to take necessary steps”, Sosan added.

She said: “Young women must realise that there won’t be free money anywhere to finance their businesses and because the requirements of most of the financial institutions may be too high for young business start-ups, they could concentrate on getting start-up fund from friends and families and other helpers around. That is one critical solution to access to finance”.

Commending the initiative, Sosan said that it was important for Nigerians to develop young women so as become d self dependent, stating that since there were inadequate white collar jobs in the country, there was urgent need for women to become developed and get trained on access to funding, skill acquisition and other necessary steps that would empower them.