Stop Joining Politics After Graduation~Izhi Entrepreneurs Advised Youth

The Izhi Entrepreneurs Development Forum, led by Sct. Benjamin Nwebonyi, who is also the CEO of Macben Global Nigeria Ltd, has advised young graduates from the clan to resist the lure of politics immediately after graduation, urging them instead to embrace entrepreneurship as a sustainable path to success.

The advice was given during the Forum’s 3rd Annual Conference held at Geneza Hotel, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.

Speaking at the event, the National President, Sct. Nwebonyi, expressed concern over the growing number of Izhi youths who see politics as the only route to a brighter future. He maintained that, despite unemployment challenges, entrepreneurship remains a vital solution to personal and national economic growth. He encouraged youths to identify problems in their communities and turn solutions into viable business opportunities.

"We conceived this idea because I’m not satisfied with the economic relegation of the Izhi people in Ebonyi State. We only take jobs and hardly think of business. Once you depend on salary alone, you are not truly earning. "Many youths complain of lack of start-up capital, but I didn’t inherit wealth. The first major money I made, my father told me it took him nearly 30 years in civil service to achieve such. I started by borrowing ₦200,000 from the bank and grew from there.

"Everybody must not be a politician or civil servant. If you must go into politics, first build yourself in a career so that whatever you earn will be sustainable. Otherwise, after three years you may be left with nothing. If our past leaders had invested in business before politics, many wouldn’t have gone broke despite the wealth they amassed in office.” Nwebonyi further cautioned youths against over-reliance on family or external help, stressing that true success comes through self-reliance and value creation.

The member representing Abakaliki North state Constituency and chairman committee on Youth and sports, Hon. Victor Chidi Nwoke advised members of the union to maintain sincerity knowing that every customer demand sincere approach. He equally encourage them to take advantage of Bank of Industry,(BoI) to expand their businesses while urging them to continue supporting each other through their monthly contribution as another way to sustain their growth.

Also speaking, Dr. Friday Nkwede, a senior lecturer in the Department of Banking and Finance, Ebonyi State University, emphasized the importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in business success. "Customers are no longer just kings; they are the bosses who pay CEOs, staff, and everyone in a company. A customer can sack everybody in a firm simply by withdrawing patronage. Therefore, entrepreneurs must adopt strong CRM strategies. When properly applied, these strategies work like magic and guarantee business growth. Every business should have a financial plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Partnerships are also vital, an engineer can team up with an architect, surveyor, and builder to deliver complete services. However, trust must be at the core of partnerships so that banks and organizations will trust you .”

Dr. Nkwede noted that poor financial management remains a major weakness among many young entrepreneurs, leading to frequent collapse of small businesses. He further encourage successful entrepreneurs from Izhi clan to build network of young starters revealing that records have shown that mentees at different cases were the ones who saved collapsed business of their mentors at the time of trial.

A resource person, Mrs Ngozi Daniel Ajah and Dr. Israel Uguru, Director of Social of Izhi Entrepreneurs Forum, who is also a Medical Director, Ikenna Hospital and Diagnostic charged Izhi youths to set clear financial goals, embrace partnerships, and commit to entrepreneurship as a sustainable path, instead of job hunt.