The New Generation Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs play an important role in any culture. Adventurous, risk-taking, creative, industrious, they have become the protagonists of the 21st-century economy. Historically, entrepreneurs were traders, merchants, middlemen, and one of the earliest forms of economic engagement in this era was the batter system. Early entrepreneurs exchanged goods with each other. Growth and expertise were achieved through consistency, it is for this reason some communities developed at a faster pace than others because of the constant emphasis on trade.
The role of the new generation entrepreneur in ensuring growth and development in his/her society must not be underestimated. According to the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of Nigeria, there are over 37million SMEs in Nigeria, and these businesses employ over 60 million Nigerians, as well as contribute to 48% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. SMEs are the backbone of every economy, and entrepreneurs are the brains behind these businesses.
The 21st century is witnessing a transformation in the role of entrepreneurs. If in the early times, goods and services were exchanged in a trade and barter system; today, ideas are being exchanged to make the world a better place. The new generation entrepreneur is someone overflowing with creative ideas and direction needed to uplift his/her immediate environment.
With entrepreneurship comes a great sense of responsibility, and the new generation entrepreneur must embrace this role in a globalized society. The potential of the global village must not be lost on the new generation entrepreneur; similar challenges exist in various parts of the world, at the same time, solutions are sourced by pooling ideas from different parts of the world. The new generation entrepreneur must be open-minded and be accommodating.
Poverty, unemployment, crimes such as robbery, militancy, terrorism and kidnapping, are some of the challenges bedevilling Nigeria. The youths are often affected by these situations, and the need to address this has led to various initiatives by the public and private sector. These initiatives have a central theme which is entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is empowering, and it is for this reason the public and private sector in Nigeria have sought to encourage it amongst the youth, and create a new generation of entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurship is being used as a tool to tackle societal ills, the desire to solve a problem must be the main motivating factor for the new generation entrepreneur.
The need to address the multifaceted issues challenging the youth has led to a novel initiative by the Nigerian Bottling Company aimed at empowering 10,000 youth yearly for 3 years in different regions of Nigeria. This purpose of this is to create a skilful youthful population with the ability to make a difference in their immediate society while building thriving businesses and developing lasting networks. The realisation of the power that lies behind knowledge and experience made this organisation recruit mentors for these youths to be a part of their journey of self-discovery and success using workshops and a digital hub to achieve this objective.
The new generation entrepreneur must be self-less and invest in the capacity development of people in his/her immediate environment. This entrepreneur should also realise that solutions to challenges are not found in isolation, and it is by delivering on quality, being efficient, professional and reasonable that the world can be a better place.
