By Taiye Olayemi
Oluwole Coker, former Nigerian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, on Saturday urged Nigerian youths to aspire to be entrepreneurs for the nation’s economic growth.
Coker made the call during the entrepreneurship session of the 35th National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), held at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The theme for the festival is “Culture and Peaceful Co-existence”.
The former Ambassador said that opportunities abound in various sectors of the Nigerian economy like the fashion, food, culture, tourism and arts, where the youths can latch upon.
He said this was the only way the youths can easily jettison crime, drugs and all forms of social vices while the economy gets some boost.
He noted that the youths must be interested in the sustainable development of national economy by being entrepreneurs.
“There is a lot in our culture to harness for ourselves, our food, fashion, arts, music are most desirable across the globe, let us take advantage of this, to build more entrepreneurs in these sectors.
“Becoming an entrepreneur entails taking risks, we should be open to this, also, creativity is needed.
“Look at Nigeria, identify sectors that are marketable locally and internationally, I want Nigerian youths to be interested in the sustainable development of national economy,” he said.
Earlier, Chief Olusegun Runsewe, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), organiser of the festival, urged individuals to embrace entrepreneurship skills to be self reliant.
Runsewe said that every component of the festival was deliberately designed to effect peaceful co-existence and achieve economic empowerment.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 35th National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) which began on Nov. 7 ends on Nov. 13. (NAN)