By Lucy Sylvester Gabriel
The University of Jos has recently held an entrepreneurship summit titled “Igniting Innovations: Empowering Entrepreneurs in Emerging Economies” at the Red Chamber Hall, Faculty of Social Sciences, Permanent site.
The event created a space for brainstorming sessions, idea generation and out-of-the-box thinking, also providing room for discussions on calculated risk-taking by offering support and resources for innovative projects. It hence viewed failure as a learning opportunity and not a setback.
The guest speaker, Mr Daniel Dung Gwom, Managing Director of Jmof’s enterprise and winner of the 2022 Presidential award of excellence in leather work, reflected on his entrepreneurial roots and recounted how he started a shoe repair business at a tender age of seven. He said, “Motivated by a desire to help my low-income community, I turned my passion for shoe repair into a thriving enterprise and eventually evolved into a company that produces shoes and related products.”
Dr Aderonke Folagbade, the Business Administrator of University of Jos, highlighted that most profitable businesses are not defined by their products or services but by the vision and ingenuity of the entrepreneurs behind them. She advised aspiring entrepreneurs to harness their mindset and draw inspiration from how Bill Gates transformed Microsoft into a global powerhouse through his entrepreneurial efforts.
Similarly, the National Vice President of Junior chamber international Nigeria (JCIN), Clement C. David emphasized that entrepreneurship is fundamentally a mental game. “The success of entrepreneurs is often determined by their mindset and approach to challenges. It’s essential to cultivate traits such as resilience, creativity, and adaptability. By having an entrepreneurial mindset, individuals can navigate uncertainty and capitalize on opportunities to drive meaningful innovation and growth,” he said.
In the same vein, Hon Luka Pampe, an Economic Analyst, stated that problem-solving skills are invaluable in entrepreneurship and indeed all aspects of life. “The ability to identify challenges, analyze them critically, and develop innovative solutions is what sets successful entrepreneurs,” he revealed.
Dr E.N.O. Collins, a lecturer in the department of Economics, University of Jos, also reiterated that the success of a business is heavily influenced by the entrepreneur behind it. “the power of mindset and perspective in shaping one’s actions and outcomes cannot be overemphasized. This underscores the importance of cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset characterized by creativity, resilience, and adaptability,” he stated.
