Twenty emerging entrepreneurs from Ogoniland are set to receive a ₦200 million business support fund following a landmark commitment by Ogoni-born philanthropist and businessman, Chief Lesi Maol, who has urged youths of the area to embrace wealth creation as the surest path to economic freedom and sustainable development.
The announcement was the major highlight of the Ogoni Entrepreneurship Summit, sponsored by Chief Maol and held at the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Park, Bane, where he declared a personal investment of ₦200 million to empower 20 carefully selected entrepreneurs.
Addressing participants in his welcome remarks, Maol, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Giolee Global Resources Ltd, said the funding was not an act of charity but a deliberate strategy to raise a new generation of business leaders capable of creating jobs, driving innovation, and stimulating economic growth across Ogoniland.
“We cannot continue to survive on sympathy or subsistence. Wealth creation is the only sustainable weapon against poverty. When you empower one entrepreneur, you empower families, communities and generations,” he said, drawing thunderous applause from the audience.
He challenged Ogoni youths to shift their mindset from dependency to productivity, stressing that true development begins with financial stability and intentional investment in human capital.
According to him, societies that prioritise enterprise, mentorship and discipline inevitably experience long-term prosperity.
Maol noted that Ogoni youths are naturally gifted, creative and resilient, but have lacked structure, mentorship and access to opportunity—gaps the summit was designed to address.
“This summit is about unlocking the greatness already inside our people. Ogoni has enormous untapped potential, and it can only be realised through deliberate planning and collective effort,” he stated.
Drawing inspiration from the Nnewi mentorship and enterprise model, Chief Lesi said Ogoniland could achieve even greater economic success if it intentionally builds a culture of entrepreneurship.
“Nnewi did not become prosperous by accident. They invested in people and mentored the young. Ogoni can do even better if we are disciplined and intentional,” he added.
He explained that the summit marked the pilot phase of a long-term initiative aimed at building a sustainable ecosystem for mentorship, enterprise development, leadership and career growth in Ogoniland.
Reaffirming his commitment to institutional development, Maol also announced a ₦20 million support fund for Capital and Ogoni TV, emphasising the role of information, education and strong media platforms in shaping prosperous societies.
The summit attracted stakeholders from business, finance, academia, governance, security, technology, energy, gender advocacy and community leadership, with sessions focused on practical skills, mentorship, idea generation and translating knowledge into action.
Former Chief Economic Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr. Magnus Kpakol, described the initiative as a “game changer,” commending Chief Lesi for leading by example.
He introduced his Full Local Ownership (FLOW) model, advocating entrepreneurship and innovation as more sustainable tools for development than dependency or protest.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Dr. Henry Kpunee, said the summit was designed to shift young people from dependency to productivity, while Dr. Friday Baridoo, Secretary of the Planning Committee, described the intervention as rare and transformative, urging participants to apply the lessons learned with discipline.
Several eminent personalities, scholars, traditional rulers, and civil society leaders were also in attendance, lending broad-based support to the vision of community-driven economic empowerment.
“Ogoni’s economic rise will not be imported. It must be driven by our people, our ideas, and our resolve to succeed,” Chief Maol said.
