By Ameh Gabriel
Abuja, Nigeria – July 4, 2025 In anticipation of a landmark initiative set to officially launch on July 8, the United States Latin America Chamber of Commerce (USLACC Africa) in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, held a high-level press briefing yesterday at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The briefing served as a formal introduction to the upcoming program tagged “Africa on the Wings of Economic Acceleration and Growth”, a continental effort designed to empower 50 million African youths through technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship development.
The initiative will drive a $100 billion Endowment Fund over the next decade to transform African youths from consumers into producers, innovators, inventors, and industrialists. It also seeks to bridge the skills gap and promote local production across key sectors.
Engr. Dr. Emem S. Coffie, Chairman of the press event and MD/CEO of Reticulated Global Group, delivered a keynote address emphasizing the need for urgent action beyond mere aspirations.
“We must stop dreaming about technology transfer and start acting,” Coffie stated. “It’s unrealistic to expect other nations to develop technologies and hand them over to us in the name of diplomacy. Real development must come from within through local innovation, training, and enterprise.”
Dr. Coffie decried the neglect of technical education in Nigeria and the disconnection between academic qualifications and practical industrial needs. He called for stronger support for science and technology-based programs that empower youth to produce rather than consume.
“Many of our youths study business administration, but where are the businesses to administer? We must first create the businesses, then equip young people with the skills to run them.”
Representing the patron of the initiative, Chief Mike Okiro, former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Savior S.C. Okiro reinforced the importance of youth-centered development.
“Chief Okiro believes that building a prosperous Africa begins with empowering its youth not as an afterthought, but as a national strategy,” he said. “This program is not political; it is a patriotic and economic mission.”
Ambassador Ifeoma Mary Ejiogu, African Representative of USLACC and convener of the initiative, echoed a similar message. She noted that African youths remain one of the world’s most underutilized assets, despite their immense talent and creativity.
“Africa is often a top consumer of global products, but we rarely participate in production,” she said. “This must change. This movement is about reprogramming our mindset from dependency to productivity.”
“We are not waiting for government approval or political will to move forward. We are already building the platform and inviting our youth to take ownership of their future.”
Dr. Fidelis Ejiogu, a development strategist and one of the key partners in the project, emphasized the need for collaboration across sectors public, private, and civil society.
“Africa’s greatest potential lies not in its resources, but in its people. This initiative aims to unleash that potential by combining funding, skills, and policy into one impactful framework,” Dr. Ejiogu said.
The upcoming launch on July 8 will unveil full details of the implementation plan, including partnerships with agencies like the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI), as well as targeted training, innovation hubs, science villages, and entrepreneurship programs.
The press briefing concluded with a unified call to action directed at the private sector, multilateral partners, and African leaders to rally around the initiative and make sustainable youth development a top continental priority.
“This is not just a program. It is a mission to rewrite Africa’s future,” Ambassador Ejiogu concluded.
