Don’t wait for people to inspire you, inspire yourself – Ozigbo tells youths

By Praise Chinecherem

The Under 45 Chief Executive Officer, Business and Leadership Summit, and former Managing Director of Transcorp Plc, Mr Valentine Ozigbo has advocated for power shift to Nigerian youths, saying that they have all it takes to move the country forward, politically and economically.

Ozigbo, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 202 election in Anambra State, disclosed this in Onitsha during the Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation, UDUF Africa, organized 2023 Under 45 Chief Executive Officer, CEO Business and Leadership Summit.

Ozigbo and many under 45 CEO’s of thriving industries and companies drawn from across Nigeria, in their respective speeches stated that Nigerian political and economic development will be taken to the next level if political and economic power shifts to the under 45 youths and business leaders.

Delivering his key note address during the summit, Ozigbo said, with the successes, development, expansion and innovations many Nigeria youths particularly the under 45, have brought into their businesses and the one they inherited from their parents, he is convinced that if given the political and economic leadership of the country, they will do better than what currently obtains in the country.

He urged the youths to continue to inspire themselves and not expect anybody to inspire them, adding that any person under the age of 45 is highly favoured, lucky and blessed because they are at the peak performance season of their lives.

Founder and Director General’ Onitsha Business School, Prof,Olusegun Sogbesan, in his remark said that UDUF Africa Under 45 CEO’s Summit, has exposed the possibility of creating leaders from the youths irrespective of the challenges in the society.

“The summit is to build and raise African leaders in different segment of the Nigerian economy and industries, just as to create a model and pattern for people to fulfill their visions.

Founding President and Chairman Board of Directors, Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation, UDUF Africa, Dr Smart Chinedu Ezuma, earlier in his address urged Nigerian youths to sustain the success they have recorded in business leadership, saying that the future belongs to them economically, politically and otherwise.

According to him, this years summit is quite unique because of its theme, which is “Creating a sustainable Africa through active leadership”, adding that “Africa is a great continent but it has leadership problem. There is great disparity between the leadership situation in African continent and attainment of sustainable development.”

“This summit is one of the ways we stand to contribute in balancing the disparity in leadership situation in Africa, because everything rises and fall on leadership. If we can make corrections on our leadership mindset now we are young, I believe that the future of Africa will be bright.”

Visibly happy Ezuma, expressed satisfaction that apart from providing training, mentoring, capacity building and skill acquisition to people, UDUF Africa, has strategically connected people who are interested in youths development, entrepreneurship, leadership, volunteers and community service and the result was the donation by some individuals of over three million to over seven youths during the summit, to grow their businesses.