AICL Boss hails young innovators at Abuja Youth Talent Hunt Grand Finale, commending their creativity, resilience, and drive for entrepreneurship
AICL Boss hails young innovators for their creativity and determination at the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt Grand Finale, held on Thursday in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), Ambassador Maureen Tamuno, described the initiative as a pioneering platform for empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs in Abuja.
Tamuno expressed delight at the impressive progress made by participants since the competition commenced on 20 August 2025, noting that their achievements reflected the growing dynamism of the FCT’s economic landscape.
“Each of you has demonstrated resilience, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines the new face of the Federal Capital Territory,” she said.
She also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for his unwavering support of youth empowerment programmes, particularly the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt initiative.
Fourteen finalists from the Creative, ICT, and Agriculture sectors showcased their business ideas, with three overall winners emerging from each category. Valentine Okoli of Bach & Moen Limited won in Agriculture, Owura Josiah of Greenjolt Solutions triumphed in ICT, while Okesade Brightness of NeciGlobal topped the Creative Enterprise category.
The overall winners received one million naira each, while the first and second runners-up went home with seven hundred and fifty thousand and five hundred thousand naira respectively.
Congratulating the winners, the AICL boss commended all participants for their courage and persistence. She noted that success goes beyond prizes, explaining that their willingness to learn and innovate positions them as future leaders of Abuja’s economic transformation.
“Even for those who may not have emerged as winners, you have achieved something truly special,” she said.
Tamuno explained that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on job creation, inclusive growth, and entrepreneurship, as well as Minister Wike’s vision to make Abuja a hub for innovation and sustainable development.
She announced that 60 top participants would feature at the forthcoming Abuja Business and Investment Expo, where they will present investment-ready ideas and connect with potential investors.
“We believe that your ideas will prove that an investment in our youth is indeed a direct investment in our collective future,” she stated.
In his remarks, the Acting Managing Director of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), Dr Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, applauded AICL for its visionary partnership and commitment to youth enterprise. He emphasised that the competition has uncovered exceptional business ideas capable of driving job creation and economic growth across critical sectors.
Dr Ugwuada-Ezirigwe reaffirmed AEA’s readiness to collaborate with AICL and other partners in providing mentorship, funding, and capacity-building opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Similarly, the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, commended the organisers for promoting youth-led innovation. He praised the participants for their determination, describing them as key contributors to Nigeria’s economic future.
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Odii stressed that empowering young entrepreneurs with skills, mentorship, and access to finance remains crucial to building a resilient and inclusive economy.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
