Geared Up: Strides towards changing the narrative of Nigerian youths

“The Nigerian Dream” is not a common phrase amongst the average Nigerian youths, as the environment itself largely influences a survival mentality that barely leaves room for lofty dreams. An environment, where youth poverty and other challenges facing the average Nigerian youth are as obvious as a floating red flag in the bright morning sky.

However, it is not all gloom and doom. With a population nearing 200million and the youth making up over 60% of that number, we are a nation with unlimited and untapped potential, largely due to poor short-sighted leadership and resource management. It is all about perspective.

Do you know that?

In view of the recent Libya slave trade saga in which a lot of Nigerian youths who in search of greener pastures drowned at sea or found themselves in torture camps or worst still sold into slavery for $400. Not to mention the prediction of Nigeria becoming the country with the largest number of poor people by February 2018, it is obviously high time for Nigerian youths to seize their future and do it now with the right form of support from veterans and established personalities.

So what are going to do about this? Go to war?

The Geared Up Initiative is an economic empowerment campaign driven by a network of young Nigerians from all walks of life and realities, who are fed up with the status quo and are willing to go the extra mile to change the narrative by developing ideal businesses or ideas that have the capacity to generate exponential returns and create jobs massively – directly and indirectly.

Comprising of an advisory board and project team of individuals with track record in advancing youth capital development, the selected businesses / ideas for the project roll-out cuts across various industries and sectors such as agriculture, environmental / waste management, digital technology, education, hospitality, sports and tourism.

The objective and approach of the Geared Up Initiative is to leverage the power and reach of media to drive awareness for youth owned businesses that have been reviewed to be ideal, with the aim of:

Gaining investor interest and investment funding
Accessing support funds to drive business / idea scaleup
Access enterprise advancement support e.g sales facilitation, service boost etc.

Attract positive attention for Nigerian youth entrepreneurial endeavors as well as existing challenges and opportunities.

Facilitate strategic bootstrapping of these businesses or ideas to ensure growth and ability to internally generate needed funds for scale up.

It is worthy to note that some of the business entries were selected and won the Don Etiebet Innovative Prize Award even before the full project rollout.

This is a clarion call to well-meaning individuals world over to help our audacious goal of changing the average youth narrative and driving economic growth.

More information about the project, businesses and support / investment benefits can be found on

www.234central.com/geared-up

#GearedUp_9ja

…Let us seize the future today!

MEET AYOTUNDE SOFELA, THE FEMALE MECHANIC WHOSE HEART BEATS FOR PROPER MAINTENANCE OF CARS

Goldfishes have no hiding place, so I guess this is why Ayo could not find a hiding place either. My first contact with her was on Twitter when I was looking out for women in male-dominated industries. I had an open mind while I was on the lookout but my thought had not given me the clue that I 'd stumble a sweet female Mechanic. Ayotunde Sofela is a 25-year-old Mechanic from Abeokuta in Ogun state. Born and bred in the boisterous city of Lagos and a 400 level computer science student at the National Open University (NOUN). She is the dedicated hands behind Ayomatics Garage, a young startup focused on delivering efficient, reliable, and trustworthy automobile repair, maintenance and consultation. "I didn’t always have this passion from childhood. Like most children, I wanted to grow up to be a doctor. I think that was influenced by the fact that I spent my childhood days in the midst of medical practitioners. When I got into a secondary school, that idea chang...

CREATING YOUR CERTAINTY IN A NOT-SO-CERTAIN WORLD

We are all living with the same level of global uncertainty. Certainty is what you create. The degree of certainty that you are experiencing right now is what you have decided to create. Certainty is not bestowed on you from some external source. You create the environment that you are able to prosper from. You decide the level of risk you are comfortable with, you decide whether to change and develop the skill to become comfortable with higher levels of uncertainty. Every day you are assessing risk, whether starting a business, leaving a job, booking a holiday or getting on a train. Not deciding still counts as a decision and this is a decision to remain uncertain. How to Create Certainty in an Uncertain World You cannot control the world or anyone in it but you can trust in yourself. Here is how to create certainty in an uncertain world: Remember that challenge and change are merely detours in the right direction, if you are open to the lessons that the challe...

WE SHOULD ALL BE MINERS

This is a new year and I am in a good mood to give you diamond, gold, silver or even platinum. Just mention your preferred choice! If you took the words you read now to heart. That makes you a bigger joker than I am. The honest truth is that the most satisfying gift you could ever have is one given to you by YOU. Whatsoever, you desire is waiting for you to take action to make it happen? What are you willing to do to make it a reality? How bad do you want it? How long do you want to sit and watch like a lonely puppy and hoping a bright light will shine through? I have got news for you. There is no bright light coming to you. That bright is YOU Confucius is quoted to have whispered, "A ll good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.” He was not far from the truth. Those fine metals hanging on your neck, sitting comfortably on your earlobe, caressing your ring or perhaps your middle finger didn't just find its way to the jewelry sh...

JENNIE IFEATU

Search This Blog