My dream is to build a more inclusive and tolerable world where everyone irrespective of social status, race, and religious background will have equal access to economic resources that will enable them reach their full potentials.
I was born into a polygamous family in Umudiokpara Village in Azia Town in Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra State in South-Eastern Region of Nigeria. My Mum being the last wife in the family, this marital status placed her and her children at a disadvantaged position with limited access to economic resources. Growing up in such competitive environment was very challenging for me as a little boy then.
Due to economic hardship I was separated from my family in my early life immediately after my Junior Secondary School Examination to live with my senior cousin brother in Kaduna State in northern Nigeria.
My relocation to Kaduna state provided me the opportunity to meet, interact and live with people from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, and to witness violent conflict. Kaduna is a cosmopolitan state in the Northwest region in Nigeria with population of about 8.6m people and with over 60 ethnic groups with two major religions, Christianity and Islam. It has been matted in multiple ethno-religious crisis that has pitted the Christian southern part of the state against the Muslim northern part. Bloody clashes in the state have polarized the people along ethno-religious lines resulting to loss of lives and properties.
Growing up and experiencing the brutalities of religious and ethnic based violence in my community in Kaduna State Nigeria gave me strong motivation to become a change agent. Through my personal research I discovered that epicenter of most violent conflicts in Kaduna state occurred in poorer communities. These indicators pointed out that poverty and unemployment are key drivers or enablers of violent-conflict with youths being the perpetrators. In 2017, I started an initiative known as “Youth Enterprise Initiative” funded through my company E-ment Global Enterprise. It is aimed at eradicating youths’ unemployment, rural poverty, build resilience and sustainable livelihood among young people through vocational training.
I strongly believe that to build inclusive and tolerable world, inclusive economic growth at grassroots more be promoted. This can only be achieved when youth’s development becomes the center for policy making with more young people at decision tables.