Experts in the commerce industry have inspired youths to take decisive action towards addressing the country’s socio-economic challenges through innovation and technology.

They stressed the need for youths to be deeply involved in national development, emphasising that their creativity, energy, and innovative ideas are needed to build the kind of country they envision.

Speaking at the inaugural hackathon, ‘YBLG Hackathon Season 1.0,’ hosted by The Young Business Leaders Group (YBLG) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos, Chairman of YBLG, Abiodun Olawale-Cole, said the maiden hackathon, themed, ‘Tech for Tomorrow: Building Smarter, Safer, and Sustainable Solutions’, was initiated to allow young innovators showcase their ideas and share creative solutions that could impact society.

“We thought of what we could do to give the youths a platform to share their ideas. After a brainstorming session, our programme team decided to focus on technology, because we’ve seen how businesses are growing in Nigeria and making an impact globally,” he added.

He further noted that the initiative aims to achieve three main goals, which include giving young innovators a platform to shine, to give back to society, and to foster engagement among members and the larger community.

In his remark, the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of Oranos Technologies, Segun Maghelemi, said Nigerian youths have a global edge due to their intelligence and resilience, positioning the country as a key driver of future innovation.

“Apple for apple, we are very intelligent and resilient. Our natural Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is far ahead of many. Considering globalisation today, our abilities are borderless,” he said.