As part of an effort aimed at tackling poverty, creating jobs and reducing extreme poverty, Ondo State Entrepreneurship Agency, (ONDEA) recently organised an employment summit to provide opportunities for the youths, women and vulnerable groups.

Speaking at the inaugural unemployment summit held at Akure recently, Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) said he is determined to eliminate poverty through entrepreneurship, knowledge economy, innovation and technology.

He added that he is ready to invest more in entrepreneurship development and provide startup funds for persons with entrepreneurship skills that are adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Akeredolu said: “We have always been concerned that the only enduring solutions to the unemployment issues are for our youths to embrace entrepreneurial development.”

Specifically, he said entrepreneurship development plays an important role in job creation and poverty alleviation.

In her keynote speech, billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, said: “a lot of people might not know the importance now, the fact about entrepreneurship is that it is the engine that creates new jobs and it is a great panacea for economic development.”

She added that as the Grand Matron of the largest Entrepreneurship network in Africa – Africa’s Young Entrepreneurs (A.Y.E) Organisation, we are building the right foundation and it would take some time before we can achieve this.”
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According to her, “entrepreneurship is a great panacea for unemployment and the vices associated with it. We cannot continue to handle the issue of unemployment in the country with kid gloves. I believe that unemployment in the country will be put to rest, the ball has been set rolling.”

The Unemployment Summit was hosted by the Governor and executed by Special Adviser on Entrepreneurship Development, Dr. Summy Smart Francis and targeted at addressing unemployment as a challenge and proffering practical solutions to it.

Speakers at the summit includes Rev’d Funke Felix-Adejumo, serial entrepreneur and owner of FFA Resorts in Ondo State, Jack-Rich, Chairman of Belemaoil, Wanle Akinboboye, President of LaCampagne Tropicana, Dare Akande, Chief Executive Officer, Bellagio Air, Nancy Taiye, Aragbaye Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Solutions, Mitchelle Adepoju.