Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha; the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Ahmed Marafa, and others have shunned the first Young Entrepreneur fair taking place in Minna, Niger State capital.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria; the Etsu Nupe and chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubarkar, and the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Prof Musbau Akanji, who were expected to present papers on topical issue did not honour the exhibition fair powered by the African Community Bridge Foundation (ACBF), the implementing agency for the CBN’s Entrepreneurship Development Agency (EDA) for the north-central zone.
Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, who declared the fair open, was represented by the Special Adviser, Solomon Nyaze, and the state Commissioner for Sports Development, Mamman Musa.
The event billed to last between November 21, 2016, and 28, however could not continue the second day owing to what many attributed to harsh economic realities which also made most of the dignitaries to shun the event designed to provide the opportunity for the cross-fertilization of ideas between Nigerian young entrepreneurs and their foreign counterparts.
Out of about 50 stands, only about 10 groups from Niger State featured in the first day and by the second day only three groups were seen, thereby confirming that the fair flopped as the aim for the first international young entrepreneur fair to cross-fertilize idea was largely defeated.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, was represented, Chinese Ambassador did not send any representative, while Okorocha whose aides as at Sunday evening assured of his principal’s physical presence did not turn up nor send any representation.
Meanwhile, Professor Carmir Obialom, the coordinator and Programme Director, said that the fair was aimed at not only promoting indigenous technology but promote cross-fertilisation of ideas for technological advancements for sustainable development.
The young entrepreneur fair organized with the support of the; CBN, Niger State Chamber of Commerce Mines and Industry (NACCIMA), Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Obialom explained could not make desired impact because of people’s erroneous expectations.
According to Obialom, “Participants expected have the mindset that they were to be given money. We paid for the about 50 stands to showcase what they can do on their own but this idea of expecting that government will do everything is no longer tenable.”
