Boom Funds Urges Entrepreneurs To Synergize

By Adetoye Adejumo

Nigerian youth entrepreneurs have been encouraged to ditch individualism in favour of more synergized efforts so as to be able to reach the top together.

This advice was given at the Boom Funds Hangout, an event organized by Boom Funds Nigeria, a youth entrepreneur support organization which prides itself as a community of young change makers where leaders are raised.

The Lead Mobilizer of the fast growing entrepreneurial movement, Reverend Dapo Adegboyega pointed out that one of the killers in Africa is the spirit of individualism. He noted that despite the fact that Africa is blessed with a lot of talented individuals both within and outside the continent, many want to go alone because of very evident trust deficit among the people.

According to him, there is the need to forge partnerships and jettison the basis of divisions among us, chief of which are religion and ethnicity.

“The first thing to look out for is that spirit of oneness that is ready to build deliberate relationships. It is unfortunate that black people mostly do not work together, we mostly pull ourselves down.”

The vastly travelled Reverend Dapo said the difference between African youth entrepreneurs and creators in Africa and China is the support and regulatory system which makes it hard for the former to thrive easily.

“You see the Chinese coming out with different products on a regular basis. That is down to the fact that they have the support and regulatory systems which make it easy for them to express themselves and go on to be world beaters. That is our bane in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa.”

The hangout which was held at Lagos Sheraton Hotel at the weekend was to bring like minds together to cross-fertilize ideas in a relaxed environment.

The Lead Mobilizer explained that Boom Funds is about empowering and lifting one another up, saying further that those who have been empowered would surely go on to employ and empower others till the trickle effect goes all the way down the chain.

“Boom Funds is not a community of beggars. The purpose is to inspire, support and push ourselves all the way to the top. There is the need to gather many entrepreneurial minds together under an umbrella so there can be cross-fertilization of ideas.”

Reverend D said the aim of Boom Funds is to bring like entrepreneurial minds together to synergize and break the cycle of poverty. He noted that it may be impossible to go far unless appropriate relationships are intentionally built and the spirit of individualism is destroyed.

“God being God still worked with angels in creating man. Till today, God still partners with humans to make things happen. That is why we have clergymen across different religions.”

Charging youths to aim for excellence, Reverend Dapo said the phenomenon of excellence is not gender, race or environment based. He advised that youths should strive for excellence and not let their environment bring them down to the level of mediocrity because the environment has a way of pulling people down to a certain level that is below excellence without them knowing.

“You must start looking at standing out and exhibiting excellence in business. The thing people refer to as packaging is actually an exhibition of excellence.”

Encouraging Nigerian youths to not be cowed by challenges, he said that Africa is on the cusp of something big despite being referred to as the third world and Nigeria cannot be left out.

Speaking further, he advised young entrepreneurs to ready and position themselves properly for the full operation of Boom Funds this year as many international partners and investors will be brought in by Boom Funds Nigeria and the beneficiaries will be those who are well prepared.

Reverend Dapo also charged youths to desist from being selfish and untrusting. He said they should change their thinking from what would only be of instant benefit to them and embrace a mindset that seeks to be of benefit to many other people.

“You don’t need a business that only feeds you or pay your bills. It should not just be about surviving or feeding. The impact of your business should go all the way down the chain. Shun individualism, shun divisive phenomena like religion, ethnicity and whatever it is that divides us and let us move in synergy.”

As he wrapped up the hangout, he announced that another edition of the hangout would hold later this month and urged as many as possible to follow Boom Funds Nigeria on social media for updates.