The Nigeria Young Founders’ Week, an event held on Friday November 3, 2023, at the Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The theme of the programme is “The Billion Dollar Conference: Building Africa’s Next Unicorn”. The program aims to foster the growth and development of start-up businesses across Nigeria.
Nathaniel Luz, CEO of Flincap, delivered the first keynote speech titled “Yaba no be Silicon Valley”.
Addressing this topic, Luz stressed the fact that Silicon Valley and Yaba are separate environments and are in different development stages.
He compared the west and developed areas of the world as Silicon Valley and classified Africa and other developing parts of the world as Yaba.
“It seems to me that we have stayed more with privileges than opportunities. Everyone wants to earn a certain amount.”
“So, it is one thing to look at privileges and say this is where we want to get to… but it is another thing to understand the obligations.” He said.
He continued, “Inasmuch as we are intelligent and hardworking, it actually has little to do with you.
“It has more to do with the season you are in.”
Also speaking, Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, co-founder and CEO of Enovate Lab, delivered the second keynote speech for the programme, titled “Nurturing Campus Entrepreneurship: From Idea to Profitable Action”.
Adesegun-David noted that campuses should serve as hotbeds of innovation and enterprise. He commended OAU for its consistent role as a pioneering canpus.
“Sometimes campuses have generations who are like the golden age, and then when they leave campus, the things they experienced or they enjoyed suddenly ceased.” He said.
While speaking, he noted that some locations around the world have been clusters of geniuses over the years, mentioning Florence, Oxford, the University of Ibadan, Silicon Valley and Yaba.
“The very first thing, when you have clusters of geniuses, what you are able to do consistently is to surface generational insights.
“Unicorns are built on the surface of generational insights.” Adesegun-David stated.