By Ishaya Ibrahim
The United States government has selected 105 Nigerians in the field of agriculture, technology, confectionery and fashion/style to make successful entrepreneurs of them.
Those selected were drawn from a pool of over 5,000 vocational and technical education graduates who participated in a Consulate’s Conference for Emerging Entrepreneurs.
The U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer, Russell Brooks who represented the US Consul General, John Bray said the conference has brought together 105 young, talented, ambitious young people who are looking to make their mark in the world of business.
“To aid them, Field of Skills and Dreams has assembled an outstanding group of mentors. These mentors, men and women who have accomplished great things in their business careers are taking time out of their busy schedules to share some of their wisdom and experience with young people and the U.S. Consulate thanks them for their commitment and generosity,” he said.
He said few people knew that Victor Kiam, famous American entrepreneur, best-known for his successful turnaround of a razor blade company took his first risks as an entrepreneur by selling a product at the tender age of eight.
“He used five dollars given to him by his father to buy 100 bottles of cola to sell to his thirsty neighbors. Incredible but true. His story confirms this message by Niklas Zennstrom, a co-founder of Skype, who said, ‘If you want to be an entrepreneur, it’s not a job, it’s a lifestyle. It defines you.’ In other words, if you want a job with predictable hours, being an entrepreneur is not for you … if you do not want to have to take your work home with you at the end of the day because you are absolutely consumed with it, being an entrepreneur is not for you … if you are afraid to fail, this is without a doubt not a path for you,” he said.
He however said if one is passionate about the success of an idea, a new product or service, a means to deliver something that people want, then entrepreneurship is for them.
