Entrepreneurship is a vital route for youths to create opportunities, drive innovation, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economic revival. To this end, all hands must be on deck to make youths reliable, capable, and self-sustaining to make meaningful contributions to national development. Apostle Lawrence Achudume of Victory Life Bible Church International passed this across while speaking with journalists after doling out ₦15 million to some young Nigerian entrepreneurs in sectors like catering, logistics, tailoring, fashion designing, and shoe-making, following the Youth On Fire Convention held on October 1, 2025.
The young people who went through a rigorous process involving proposal reviews and intensive mentoring were beneficiaries of this empowerment initiative. The clergy said the beneficiaries were divided into three categories. “The first category involved all expenses paid for training in graphic design; the second category were fifty young people who received financial support and sewing machines; while the third category involved financial empowerment ranging from ₦300,000 to ₦3 million depending on their work,” Apostle Achudume explained.
The man of God stressed that young people need to be agents of change. “We need our young people to be agents of change, creating jobs not just for themselves but for others,” he emphasized, highlighting the role of youth in Nigeria’s development. Apostle Achudume explained that the aim was to make youths reliable, capable, and self-sustaining. “We want them to have the wherewithal to stand on their own feet, to dream big, and to execute those dreams in ways that uplift themselves and our nation. In Nigeria today, we need initiatives that bolster youth sustenance because when youths thrive, the nation prospers.”
Explaining that the gesture was in loving remembrance of his wife, Reverend Fola Achudume, who was profoundly passionate about youth development and entrepreneurship, Apostle Achudume posited that youths as future leaders must be supported to thrive in their chosen fields. “This gesture is in loving remembrance of my wife, Reverend Fola Achudume, who was profoundly passionate about youth development and entrepreneurship. In memory of her, we have done this, we continue to do this, and we will keep doing it because it was central to who she was.”
Apostle Achudume underscored that economic participation by empowered youth can catalyze broader development across Nigeria.
Speaking in a like manner, the Founder and CEO of Pomegranate Nigeria Limited,Mr Wole Elusakin who collaborated with Professor Eniola Fabusoro and Dr Toyin Banjo in selecting beneficiaries, said, “Youth are the future of tomorrow, and they need an enabling environment to flourish. We charged them to be uncompromisingly focused and unbound in their pursuit of success. This wasn’t straightforward; it was rigorous with proposal reviews and intensive mentoring. Beneficiaries weren’t handed ‘free money’; they’ll get follow-up, further mentorship, and training for business growth and sustainability. Investing in young Nigerians is investing in our collective future.”
