The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to strengthening Nigeria’s legal and institutional framework to support entrepreneurship and create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Kalu spoke Thursday at the Youth Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) 2026 Summit, organised by Activate Success International Foundation in partnership with Flutterwave, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Nestlé Nigeria in Abuja.
Speaking at the summit, the Deputy Speaker said the 10th National Assembly recognises young people as Nigeria’s most valuable resource and considers investment in youth capacity, skills and enterprise crucial to the nation’s future growth and prosperity.
He described entrepreneurship as a key driver of economic transformation, noting that Nigeria’s greatest challenge is not a shortage of talent, ideas or ambition, but the need to convert youthful energy into structured opportunities and sustainable productivity.
“Every generation is confronted with its defining test. For ours, that test is not the absence of talent, nor the scarcity of ideas, nor even the lack of ambition. Our challenge is the transformation of abundant youthful energy into structured opportunity,” Kalu said.
According to him, young Nigerians are already building successful ventures in sectors such as finance, logistics, agriculture, education and the creative economy, demonstrating what is possible when innovation is supported by the right structures.
He assured participants that lawmakers would continue to strengthen policies and institutions that encourage enterprise, stressing that entrepreneurship must be viewed as a central pillar of national development rather than an alternative career path for a few individuals.
Kalu also urged young Nigerians to approach their future with discipline, courage and determination, encouraging them not to allow their circumstances, fear of failure or temporary setbacks to limit their ambitions.
In a major highlight of the event, the Deputy Speaker announced grants of N500,000 each for 74 young entrepreneurs, an increase from last year when more than 30 beneficiaries received similar support under the programme.
The Founder of Activate Success International Foundation, Love Idoko Uloko said earlier that Nigeria requires a generation prepared to build solutions, create value and drive lasting impact, adding that the YEEP initiative remains focused on equipping young Nigerians with the tools needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Also speaking, Flutterwave representative Olufunmilayo Olaniyi pledged the company’s support for youth empowerment through access to digital infrastructure and markets, while organisers presented N500,000 grants to 25 young entrepreneurs and distributed five sewing machines to young tailors to strengthen their businesses.
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