LADOL Boss Counsels Young Entrepreneurs on Economic Drive

The Managing Director, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL), Dr. Amy Jadesimi has called on Nigerian youths, especially the growing rank of young entrepreneurs to take charge in driving the emerging global economic growth.

She said this has become necessary considering the rapid growth in the productive class that currently accounts for the larger part of the rapidly growing world population- a global trajectory that will continue to be positive.

The LADOL boss, who made the call at the 2016 conference of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Young Professionals Leadership Forum (YPLF) held in Lagos, urged the youths to take advantage of the rapid spread of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in achieving the goal.

 Pointing out that over the next 15 years, there will be a huge shift in financing focus from multinationals to entrepreneurs and mid-sized companies, she noted that the development will come with political challenges and social dislocation as the world adjusts to the new trend.

According to her, “The population of Nigeria will increase to 300 million, over 60 per cent of which will be below the age of 20 and the world’s population will increase to a billion by 2050 where 25 per cent of this population will be in Africa over the next 15 years.”

Jadesimi contended that, “despite the negative and cynical narratives pervading our public spaces, the facts show that young people of today should celebrate the fact that they are growing up in a world that could be on the apex of high growth and affluence with decreasing equality.”

“Hard working, educated and entrepreneurial millennial in low income will be the ones to take up and create the 600 million new jobs the world need between now and 2030. These jobs will be created by small medium enterprises (SMEs), “She said.

According to the LADOL boss, “Leading international companies and institutions have recognised the critical importance of funding and partnering with local SMEs in emerging markets from the smallest to the largest.

“Young people all over the world have access to a huge range of resources which are the classes taught on YouTube for free to online conference and internships at a growing number of real private sector companies in Nigeria.”

To this end, she urged young people to set their goals right and be determined to be successful in any career of their pursuit, if only they are prepared to work hard.

The NAPE Young Professionals Leadership Forum conference aims to address technical challenges in the oil and gas sector and to attract investors to take challenge of funding more oil and gas in Nigeria’s frontier basins and to enable young professionals move faster and grow in their careers.

By Eromosele Abiodun/thisday