TheCable

Oak Nation Entrepreneurial Foundation (ONE Foundation) is hosting the Nigeria Youth Entrepreneurship Symposium (NYES 2023) in Ibadan on May 20, 2023.

The summit is expected to be a discourse that will bring together multiple stakeholders from government, NGOs, academia, and private sector to engage with entrepreneurs on how to chart a sustainable course for youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Oluwatoyin Ajilore-Chukwuemeka, the founder of Oak Nation Entrepreneurial Foundation, shared how the organization was founded to address the gaps in supporting small-scale entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

According to her, research has shown that more than 70% of MSMES in Nigeria fail within the first five years.

ONE Foundation, as it is popularly called, has provided a community of about 3000 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be with necessary business education, mentoring support, funding linkages, and many more.

While thankful for the last five years, Ajilore said the organization has seen the need for youth entrepreneurship development to be approached by multiple stakeholders in a collaborative way instead of multiple projects done in silos.

“This is why NYES2021 is important. We need entrepreneurs engaging with all the stakeholders in one place and sharing directly with them what kind of support they need from each stakeholder to grow their businesses,” Ajilore said.

NYES 2023 holds in a hybrid format with the physical event venue being in Ibadan at the American Corner (54 Magazine Road, Jericho, Ibadan).

The event will host representatives from Government Agencies like the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN); Academia, NGOs (including grant-making organizations), and Private Sectors.

Entrepreneurs who attend will get the opportunity to engage these stakeholders toward building a supportive environment for businesses. Learn more on how to attend here: bit.ly/N-YES2023