Mobolaji Ogunlende, the Lagos State commissioner for youth and social development, has emphasised that Nigeria must invest in its fast-growing pool of young innovators if the nation hopes to unlock new opportunities and remain competitive globally.
Ogunlende made the call on Wednesday, in his speech at the 2025 BusinessDay Young Innovators Forum, theme, “From Hustle to Enterprise”, when he said, “Nigeria’s demographic advantage is only an advantage if we invest in it, if we guide it, and of course if we believe truly in it.”
The commissioner said that the Lagos State government stands ready to partner with the young innovators to build an innovation ecosystem that competes anywhere in the world.
He encouraged Nigeria’s young innovators to develop a new mindset, an enterprise mindset, one that values structure, strategy, discipline, and growth.
“I encourage you to build not just for today, but for sustainability. Seek mentorship and not shortcuts. Document your ideas, register your businesses.
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“Make impact, do not starve as you chase profits. Think globally while solving local problems. Leverage collaboration because no great enterprise is built by isolation,” he said.
Ogunlende disclosed the readiness of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development of Lagos State to support and give young innovators enabling ground to excel.
“At the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, our mandate is clear to create an enabling environment where young people can build sustainable livelihoods, access opportunities when they need to, and grow into globally competitive leaders.
In alignment with these mandates, we have been at the forefront of advancing several youth-centred priorities, such as the expansion of digital skills training for tech, design, creative industries, and green economy,” he emphasised.
Besides, he said that there the state-supported innovation hubs and entrepreneurial labs where youth can learn, collaborate, and build.
Moreover, he noted that Lagos State is partnering with leading financial institutions and private sector bodies to provide grants, micro-credits, and enterprise seed funding to help youth transform their informal businesses into registered, scalable enterprises.
