Everest Okpara, the youthful acting President of Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, has challenged Nigerian youths on the task of making contributions to national development.
The OCCIMA Acting President made the call recently during a one day Business Workshop and Stakeholders meeting with the theme: ‘ Improving Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria,’ an event which held in Owerri, Imo State.
According to him, opportunity abounds but it is the discipline of sitting down to plan and take the tortuous path with patience to realise a dream. His words: “I don’t believe that Nigerians, especially youths have nothing to offer. It is all about having the the discerning mind of an entrepreneur. You must be environmentally sensitive to see opportunity, most importantly the area of lack that requires solution and then have the compelling motivation to bring about solution to those vexed problems. That is all about entrepreneurship. Then the value of your service are your earnings.”
Concurring with the Federal Government preachment of “change begins with me”, he insists that change begins with self.
“We cannot continue to blame government in everything. Yes, there are basic things we need from them but the real change we wish to have in our society must begin with us. Think of something new that can bring about relief to your people and that is development.”
The OCCIMA boss who is also the the Chief Executive of Everight Diagnostics and Laboratories, one of the proven best center for medical diagnostics that can boast of the latest state-of-the-art equipment with international best practices in the Southern Nigeria, also showered encomiums on diligent workers. He said: “Nigerian workers only need motivation, re-orientation and periodic training. I am proud of my workers. Without them we couldn’t have got to where we are today.”
He advised Nigerian youths to start little, be focused, make sacrifices and work smart and be determined to succeed. In his testimony, he said he started very little but with a mind set to bring about solution to a problem – a situation where accurate diagnoses became a problem, which he described as a big challenge. He said the challenge inspired him to go into the the business of bringing solutions of getting people to know what is actually wrong with them first before medication so as to avoid wrong medication and its dire consequences.
He however extolled the programme, which was geared towards opening up opportunities for women entrepreneurs, with special focus on sources to access funds to help them in their differing chosen businesses. He said the collaboration of OCCIMA, National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture ( NACCIMA) Business Women Group in partnership with Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) from the United States of America with the support of Association of Nigerian Women Network ( ANWBN), is encouraging and should be sustained.
Opara was of the view that gender equality can only be achieved through women empowerment with an event as the one they have had, creating opportunities for women to participate in entrepreneurial development, especially in commerce and service oriented businesses. ” I believe in gender equality, I believe in empowering women, I believe that women can do well if they are given opportunities. I am of the opinion that women are strong and that efforts should be channeled towards changing the world’s perception of their strengths,” he stated.
He hailed the President of NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson for frantic effort in the development of the economy of the country.
He also called on the women to rise up to the occasion and emulate other women entrepreneurs who have done well. Among the the names he called, he also mentioned the new entrants in the technical business of engineering both in machine and auto world, Lady Joy Obi who stands out as one of the best if not the best Mercedes Benz auto engineer in the country. He charged others to emulate them and that the sky will only be their beginning.