The Nigeria chapter of the International Women’s Federation of Commerce and Industry has launched a mentorship programme for secondary school students in Abuja to inspire entrepreneurship and shift young people’s mindset from job seeking to job creation.
The initiative was unveiled on Thursday at Government Secondary School Jabi, where students also received educational materials and devices to support teaching and learning.
Speaking at the event, the President and Founder of IWFCI Nigeria, Ambassador Cynthia Ejiroghene Edudje, said the programme aims to guide students early and prepare them to become innovators and future employers of labour.
“We are trying to coach them young and change the mindset many young Nigerians have of wanting to work only in government organisations immediately after school,” she said.
According to her, many students often aspire to work in institutions such as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited or the Central Bank of Nigeria without considering entrepreneurship as a viable path.
“We want to change the orientation so that they can become employers instead of employees. That is why we want to catch them young and inculcate this mindset now while they are still in school,” Edudje added.
She explained that mentorship would connect the students with experienced professionals who would guide them in career development and personal growth.
Edudje noted that the programme also seeks to complement government efforts in education by providing additional learning resources for schools.
Vice Principal of the school, Victoria Wammaka, commended the initiative, describing it as timely and beneficial for students.
“I am very happy that this organisation has come to our school. We recently concluded our career day, which helps students choose subjects that align with their passion,” she said.
Wammaka also urged parents to allow their children pursue careers they are passionate about rather than imposing choices on them.
The mentorship initiative is expected to be extended to other public secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory as part of efforts to empower young Nigerians and prepare them for future leadership and entrepreneurship.
