Youths of the African continent have been advised to embrace entrepreneurship with the spirit of unrelenting commitment and innovative doggedness.

The counsel was given on Wednesday to the NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs (NYE) 2025 edition of the Africa Youth Investment Forum (AYIF) in Abuja. The event brought together young innovators and representatives from several African countries to discuss strategies for continental growth.

In her welcome address, the National Coordinator of NYE, Amb. Dr. Sameera Abubakar Abdullahi, said the forum was designed to reshape the mindset of African youth entrepreneurs. She stressed the need for a unified roadmap for development, noting that despite numerous efforts across the continent, results have remained limited.

“As Africans, we are one. We need a blueprint or roadmap to achieve giant strides. We are doing a lot and achieving a little; we are here to change that narrative,” she said. She added that the selected participants were chosen to scale up the organisation’s vision, while delegates from different countries would brainstorm on strategies to uplift the continent.

Delivering a goodwill message, Engr Dr Jani Ibrahim, represented by Engr. Suleiman Audu, described the initiative as more than a platform, calling it “a movement.” He highlighted key challenges confronting African entrepreneurs, including limited access to finance, mentorship gaps, and inadequate information flow. He expressed optimism that the forum would create a seamless pathway for young people to excel and urged stakeholders to partner with NYE to achieve greater impact.

In his keynote address, Emmanuel Bassey, Group CEO/Managing Director of ERNE Companies, said the challenges facing African youth were surmountable. Speaking on access to finance, he noted that many hold conflicting views about funding and argued that finance is not always the biggest obstacle.

He urged young entrepreneurs to avoid focusing on artificial problems but instead identify real challenges, set clear goals, and take advantage of available opportunities. “Look out for real challenges and solve them,” he advised.

Ambassador Phil Roberts, Nigeria’s Global Tourism Ambassador, who also serves as the Director for Tourism Africa at the International Association of Diplomats, working closely with Latin American Entrepreneurs and NYE, said: “The programme we attended today is focused on developing a 2030 blueprint and introducing new solutions to the challenges faced by African entrepreneurs. It aims to create an Africa-wide convergence of young entrepreneurs equipped with skills and innovative business ideas.

“We create agreements that bring Africans together to design various inter-trade missions that help businesses grow across the continent. That is the purpose of this meeting. You cannot achieve meaningful progress without hearing people speak for themselves, because each country has its own unique challenges.

“When participants share perspectives from their countries, they help shape solutions—solutions that can also be applied in other regions. Nigeria has its own specific issues, and we take time to discuss and design practical responses. We must keep the conversation going, because continuous dialogue is what leads to sustainability” he said.

Furthermore, His Royal Highness (HRH) Muhammad Yusuf SainLere, President/Chairman, Nigeria Egypt Business and Executive member NACCIMA said the youths are the beacon of enterprise in African communities and demand significant motivation to unleash their potentials productively.

 “The youths are the fan of our community, and we just found out that they needed encouragement. And the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, that’s NACIMA, has the youth wing. And this event is meant for the youth too. So that is why we are having this session, for them to be educated on doing business, and sort of like a mentorship. So Ambassador Sameera is chairing the committee on the youth. And I’m here with the help of the National President, Indira Jani-Bidrahi. And then on behalf of myself, as the chair of the multi- and the bilateral trade group. Also, on behalf of the diaspora, that is my own U.S. council – The Nigerian Youth U.S. Council,” HRH Muhammad Sainlere stated.