The Chairman of the Nigeria Exchange Group (NGX), Umaru Kwairanga, has called for proactive measures to tackle unemployment in Nigeria through entrepreneurship and wealth creation.
Kwairanga made the call while speaking at the 2026 Youth Week of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, themed “Youth Economic Intervention, Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation in Nigeria: Japa Syndrome is Not the Solution.”
He expressed concern over the growing number of unemployed youths seeking limited white-collar jobs, while many others are leaving the country in search of opportunities abroad.
According to him, the world’s fastest-growing economies have built their success on innovation, technology, and access to capital, leading to the growth of small and medium-scale enterprises.
“Nigeria remains a land of immense potential-rich in human capital, natural resources, and entrepreneurial spirit. What is required is not an exodus of talent, but a deliberate and strategic harnessing of that talent to build sustainable economic value within our borders,” he said.
Kwairanga urged universities, the private sector, and young Nigerians to work together in building entrepreneurial capacity, stressing that wealth creation requires discipline, planning, and resilience.
He advised youths to develop business ideas, cultivate savings, and remain focused, warning against distractions such as social media, pyramid schemes, and other get-rich-quick ventures.
“Entrepreneurship is not merely an alternative—it is a necessity and the bridge between aspiration and achievement,” he added.
