Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of A+ AROMAS NIGERIA LIMITED, Alh. Abubakar Sidi Akibu, has urged young Nigerians to stop waiting for opportunities and instead develop the skills, discipline and mindset needed to create them.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Lagos Voice, Akibu said Nigeria’s greatest untapped resource is its youthful population, arguing that sustainable economic growth depends on empowering young people to become entrepreneurs, innovators and employers rather than perpetual job seekers.
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The business leader stressed that youth development should move beyond simply offering temporary opportunities to building the capacity for young people to create lasting value for themselves and others.
“The greatest form of empowerment is not creating dependence on an opportunity; it is creating the capacity to create the next opportunity,” he said.
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Youth Development Goes Beyond Job Creation
Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Akibu said his experiences have reshaped his understanding of youth empowerment.
According to him, Nigeria is not lacking talented, creative or ambitious young people. Instead, the country’s biggest challenge is bridging the gap between potential and execution through practical skills, mentorship, access to networks and structured support systems.
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He explained that A+ AROMAS was built around the philosophy that businesses should create value beyond financial returns by investing deliberately in people.
“I no longer see youth development simply as providing opportunities; I see it as building people who can create opportunities for themselves,” he said.
He noted that every young person who passes through the company’s ecosystem should leave with practical knowledge, professional confidence and transferable skills that remain valuable long after their initial engagement with the business.
Measuring Impact Beyond Numbers
While many organisations evaluate youth empowerment by the number of beneficiaries, Akibu believes the real measure of success lies in long-term transformation.
Rather than focusing solely on how many people receive opportunities, he said businesses should ask what those opportunities ultimately produce.
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For him, meaningful impact is reflected in whether young people become more capable of solving problems, making decisions independently and creating value without relying entirely on others.
“An opportunity should not end with the person who receives it. Its greatest value is when that person becomes capable of creating opportunities for others,” he said.
He described this ripple effect as the true multiplier of youth empowerment, where one person’s growth becomes the starting point for another person’s success.
Why Youth-Led Businesses Matter
Akibu also argued that youth-led enterprises have the potential to become powerful drivers of Nigeria’s broader socio-economic development.
According to him, successful businesses create opportunities not only for employees but also for suppliers, service providers, professionals and other entrepreneurs, making each enterprise part of a wider economic ecosystem.
He encouraged young Nigerians to rethink entrepreneurship beyond simply having innovative ideas.
“Ideas are abundant. Execution is what separates an idea from an enterprise,” he said.
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He identified discipline, financial intelligence, market knowledge, accountability and strong operational systems as essential ingredients for building sustainable businesses.
The entrepreneur also challenged conventional thinking about investment, insisting that capital alone does not automatically create successful enterprises.
Instead, he argued that productive investment requires credible ideas, capable entrepreneurs and proper structures.
“Investment should not end with a return to the investor. Its deeper impact is what happens around that investment,” he said.
Building Businesses That Grow With People
Akibu explained that A+ AROMAS intentionally integrates professional development into its business model, believing that organisations become stronger when their people grow alongside them.
He said the company’s approach emphasises practical exposure, responsibility and an understanding of how sustainable businesses are built.
This philosophy, he noted, also inspired RISE by A+ AROMAS NIGERIA LIMITED, an initiative designed to connect credible entrepreneurial ideas with productive capital through accountability and responsible investment.
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Drawing a distinction between giving people money and helping them build sustainable enterprises, Akibu said productive capital can become the foundation for long-term economic growth.
“Capital should not sit idle while good ideas remain unrealised, and good ideas should not die simply because they cannot find the right capital,” he said.
He further encouraged Nigerian entrepreneurs to think beyond local markets by building businesses capable of meeting international standards, attracting global partnerships and competing for international investment.
A Call for Competence Before Capital
As conversations around entrepreneurship continue to grow among young Nigerians, Akibu said ambition alone is not enough.
He advised aspiring entrepreneurs to understand their markets, customers and finances before seeking investment, stressing that investors are more likely to support businesses with credible structures and clear accountability.
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“If you want investment, don’t simply tell investors about your dream. Show them why the dream can become a business,” he said.
He added that entrepreneurs should build the right teams, maintain proper records and establish systems that can sustain growth beyond the founder’s personal efforts.
Entrepreneurship Should Create More Entrepreneurs
Beyond personal success, Akibu believes entrepreneurs have a responsibility to create pathways for others to succeed.
Rather than measuring achievement solely by individual wealth or recognition, he urged business owners to consider how many lives their enterprises positively influence.
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“Don’t measure the size of your ambition only by how much you can achieve personally. Measure it by how many other people can rise because you decided to build,” he said.
He described this philosophy as central to the culture he hopes to strengthen through both A+ AROMAS and RISE.
“Nigeria’s Greatest Opportunity Is Its People”
Looking ahead, Akibu expressed confidence that Nigeria’s future can be transformed if its youthful population receives the right combination of skills, enterprise support and productive investment.
He argued that young Nigerians should become active participants in solving the country’s economic challenges by building businesses, creating jobs and opening doors for others.
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“I don’t believe our generation should spend its entire time waiting for someone else to solve the problems around us. We should become part of the solution,” he said.
As he concluded the conversation, Akibu left young Nigerians with a message he believes should define a new entrepreneurial culture.
“Your circumstances may explain where you are starting from, but they should not determine the size of what you are capable of building.”
He added that the country’s future depends on a generation willing to create opportunities instead of waiting for them.
“Nigeria does not need more people waiting for opportunities. We need more people building opportunities—and creating room for others to rise with them.”
