‘Why we are building capacity for entrepreneurs’
Jime Tewe is the convener of From Enduring to Enjoying (FREE) conference aimed at empowering young people with the capacity to start their own businesses. At the FREE conference held in Abuja recently, he spoke on the need for people to embrace entrepreneurship and do the work they love.
Of course, it is important that the government provides basic infrastructure that allows people to think and produce the results they want. Government is a necessary enabler to allow people live their dreams and take opportunities.
One of the challenges young people face is finance, how do you think people can break this barrier and start up their own businesses?
Inasmuch as you will need finance, start where you are. Though, it gets to the point that you need to scaleup, that is where government and other private institutions like banks have to come in and say how do we provide low level, single digit funds/ loans for people and find a way that they can repay it. When the money is recovered, then it will be used to help the next person. This is the combination of the individual and private institution. We have banks, but the interest they charge on loans is still very high. Some people cannot take that type of loan, so we have to start thinking how we can provide more affordable lending for our SMEs.
How did you break the barrier to do what you are doing now?
I left the banking industry in 2010 as a senior manager. I knew I had interest in business development, it was not easy but I made a transition. Now the CEO of Inspiro Consulting, a human resources consulting firm based in Lagos, I am a career success catalyst, motivational speaker and business development expert.
One thing I had to do was to learn fast. You will learn but the speed at which you learn will determine how you will overcome the challenges. Again, I had to start small, and grow. I made mistakes, I did many things that did not work, but then, I did many things that worked.
What is the role of mentorship in raising more entrepreneurs in Nigeria? Do you think mentorship is key to success?
When you have a mentor, you make fewer mistakes. Because he/she will be able to point you in the right direction. Some extend help to you, not necessarily financial. They connect you to somebody who will help you in your chosen career. But then, any enterprise that will last and stay strong must have an accountability system and structure.