Haruna Abdulahi Haruspiece
Abuja, Nigeria
It has been a year since 20 young graduates from Kogi East received a generous gift of N20 million – N1 million each from Senator Jibrin Isah Echocho to launch their entrepreneurial ventures. The gift was meant to fuel their ambitions and help them turn their business ideas into reality. However, a year later, there is little to show for it.
Despite having the capital and opportunity, many of these graduates have failed to establish thriving businesses or showcase any visible growth. Instead, they are now criticizing leadership for inaction and lack of support, without taking responsibility for their own failure to utilize the funds effectively.
The story of these graduates serves as a harsh reminder of the difference between dreaming and doing. With N1 million, one would expect some form of business or innovation to have taken off. Unfortunately, that is not the case here.
The question remains: what happened to the funds, and what lessons can be learned from this experience? One thing is certain – opportunity alone is not enough; it requires effort, dedication, and smart decision-making to turn ideas into reality.
