…tasks participants on creativity, problem solving
Nigerian youths have been urged to leverage emerging opportunities in technology, talent development and agribusiness to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses and wealth.
The call was made at the 2026 Positive Impact Summit(PIS) organised by the Divine Motivation for Positive Impact Initiative (DMPI) in Ado-Ekiti, on Saturday, August 29.
The summit, themed “Turning Ideas Into Wealth,” attracted hundreds of youths, entrepreneurs, development practitioners and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the summit, the convener of PIS and founder of DMPI, Dr. Gbenga Emiloju, said the theme was aimed at encouraging young people to move beyond having ideas to developing and commercialising them in ways that create value and wealth.
Emiloju said the journey should begin from thought to concept, solution, value, income and ultimately wealth, stressing that an idea would remain useless if it was not translated into action.
He urged youths to identify problems within their communities and develop innovative solutions to them, noting that challenges could provide opportunities for those willing to think creatively.
According to him, young Nigerians should pay attention to their thoughts, acquire relevant knowledge, study the needs around them and use their experiences and imagination to develop products and services capable of solving societal problems.
He advised young entrepreneurs to start small, execute their ideas, improve on them and gradually scale their businesses rather than waiting until they had substantial capital.
The convener also encouraged youths to leverage social media, digital technology and artificial intelligence to promote their ideas and reach wider markets.
Emiloju said Nigeria’s large population provided a huge market for innovative products and services, urging young entrepreneurs to focus on creating value rather than allowing the country’s socio-economic challenges to discourage them.
He said the Positive Impact Summit, conceived 10 years ago, had entered its fifth edition and continued to provide a platform for mentoring, capacity building and empowerment of young people.
According to him, about 800 participants attended this year’s edition, while the initiative had provided grants to young entrepreneurs since 2020.
He disclosed that about 69 people had benefited from the grant scheme since its inception, with the grants increasing from N50,000 in 2020 to as much as N400,000 for individual beneficiaries.
Emiloju explained that beneficiaries were not merely given money but were subjected to mentoring and assessment to determine how the funds could best support their businesses.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in Ekiti State, Mrs. Olapeju Babfemi, urged youths to remain resilient despite the economic challenges confronting the country.
Babfemi said the life story of Emiloju demonstrated that young people could overcome setbacks and turn difficult experiences into opportunities for positive impact.
She said the Ekiti State Government under Governor Biodun Oyebanji was youth-focused, particularly through its human capital development agenda, adding that government and private initiatives needed to complement one another in empowering young people.
On calls for tax exemptions for young entrepreneurs, the commissioner said relevant experts and authorities should examine the proposal to determine whether it could be implemented without negatively affecting the economy.
She, however, stressed the need for government to continue exploring creative ways of encouraging young entrepreneurs.
A major highlight of the summit was the presentation of N5 million grants to 13 businesses to enable the beneficiaries strengthen and expand their enterprises.
The event also featured the presentation of awards to dignitaries and individuals who had contributed significantly to the growth and impact of the Divine Motivation for Positive Impact Initiative.
The grant recipients expressed appreciation to the organisers for the intervention, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen their businesses and turn their ideas into sustainable ventures.
They pledged to use the funds judiciously for the intended purposes and build on the support to expand their businesses and contribute positively to society.
The summit also featured a panel session where experts and stakeholders examined opportunities in artificial intelligence, talent discovery and development, agribusiness and the digital economy, with discussions focused on equipping youths with skills to thrive in emerging sectors.
