By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), Dr Raymond Asemakaha, on Monday urged youths in the state to leverage the newly passed Benue State Startup Act to turn their talents, ideas and innovations into sustainable businesses.
Asemakaha made the call while speaking at the Benue Youth Fire Conference, a youth-focused programme featuring talent hunts, entrepreneurship, business and fashion activities, held at Dunamis Church in Makurdi.
He challenged the youths to move beyond the mindset of job seekers and become job creators, saying entrepreneurship was critical to reducing unemployment and driving economic growth in the state.
Speaking on the theme, “Turning Your God-Given Potentials into Value Addition,” Asemakaha said young people must combine character, talent, hard work and determination to build businesses capable of creating value and impacting society.
He drew lessons from the Bible, including Genesis 1:28, saying the mandate to “be fruitful, multiply and subdue” the earth could be applied to entrepreneurship by transforming raw materials and available resources into value.
According to him, biblical examples such as David, Jotham and Noah demonstrate the importance of preparing and developing one’s potential before opportunities arise.
Asemakaha identified spiritual, human and financial capital as the three critical forms of capital young entrepreneurs must develop, stressing that financial capital should not be considered the starting point for every business venture.
He described spiritual capital as character and integrity, which he said formed the foundation for sustainable businesses, warning that financial success without integrity could eventually destroy both the entrepreneur and the enterprise.
He described human capital as the gifts, talents and skills possessed by individuals, urging youths to identify their abilities and develop them into marketable solutions.
“Your gift is your first capital,” he told the youths, urging them not to use lack of money as an excuse for failing to start a business.
He said talents in fashion, technology, agriculture, catering and other creative industries could be developed into viable businesses when properly harnessed.
The BIPC boss said financial capital could be built through hard work, discipline, planning and productivity, advising young entrepreneurs to start with available resources, grow gradually and acquire the knowledge required to attract bigger investments.
He also identified fear, procrastination and unhealthy comparison as major barriers preventing young people from transforming their ideas into businesses.
Asemakaha urged the youths to pursue excellence, keep learning and build enterprises that would not only generate personal wealth but also create employment and solve problems in their communities.
He subsequently donated seed capital to participants, encouraging them to return home and begin building with the resources, talents and knowledge available to them.
He urged Benue youths to start with God, develop their gifts, embrace hard work and take advantage of opportunities provided by the Startup Act to contribute to the economic development of the state.
Asemakaha said relevance on earth was a function of the glory bestowed on the potentials an individual discovers and develops, adding that challenges in life were inevitable but determination and the desire to succeed distinguish those who overcome them from victims of circumstances.
