By Emmanuel Udom
President General of Eastern Entrepreneur Organisation, Mr. Chris Madubuike has said the goal of the organisation is to spread around the world the gospel of wealth creation so that people can be liberated from the clutches of poverty.
He made this known at the second world summit on empowerment and wealth creation sponsored by the organisation in Lagos on Saturday, December 2.
Madubuike who claimed to have been to several parts of the world said his passion is to see people liberated from poverty. He noted however that it’s only people with skills that can create wealth.
According to him, wealth creation is impossible if people don’t have the skills to generate income. “ Our organisation is targeting empowerment, and wealth creation, through skills acquisition at the global level. This is the beginning. We are starting from the local, state, national, and then international level. We want to train people and equip them with skills that will help them make wealth. We also hope to encourage those who have skills too by supporting them.”
Madubuike says however that the place of formal academic education can’t be undermined adding that the present reality in the world suggests that anybody who would create wealth must have a skill.
He said his organisation would work towards ensuring that there is at least one functional industry, established in all the states of Nigeria and Abuja.
Govt lip service
While noting that the government is paying lip service to entrepreneurship, he expressed shock that lawmakers could be buying cars worth N160 million naira each; which translates to billions of naira when many Nigerians are in the throes of poverty.
The entrepreneur who recalled his various global moves and some of the challenges he has had to face said he is now born again.
He said, “Today, I am a born-again Christian, a real estate entrepreneur, and of course a hustler, who is involved in spreading the gospel of wealth creation through empowerment to the entire world.
“I have travelled the world over USA, UK, China, Ghana, Malaysia, Japan, etc, doing all kinds of businesses, and over the years, I have concluded that skills are what people need to make their wealth. This is true. Go to Computer Village in Ikeja, Idumota, Toyota, Alaba International market, you will see entrepreneurs, mostly from Igbo speaking states hustling daily, doing one business or the other.”
Not Igbo organisation
The EEO founder however debunked the impression that his organization is an Igbo project arguing that the initial names they submitted to the corporate affairs commission in Abuja were rejected because there were similar names in the computer system of the commission.
Chairman of the Planning Committee for the event, Elder George Okoye, observed that the organization is targeting the entire world through skills acquisition for students in secondary schools in Lagos, Abuja, and nationwide.
Okoye said “As a silent philanthropist, and a man who is striving to be the doer and the preacher of the word of God, I was attracted by the vision and mission of the organization and joined it.
“I am very, very positive that in the next year, EEO will spread to other states in Nigeria, as we are presently in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Rivers state and others.”
Schools at the event
Some schools that were represented at the event were: Gershom Goshen College, Tonikem College, Okota, Lagos, and Okota Senior Secondary School, Lagos.
Mrs Chidinma Joy Ogu-Chiedozie, executive director/ head of business for PWAN Group, a real estate company, said entrepreneurs all over the world solve specific problems for people.
According to her, “entrepreneurs, regardless of their levels, competencies, educational status must think, plan, network and eventually implement their visions”.
The students displayed their products, which were made under the sponsorship and supervision of EEO. They include shoes, foot mats, artificial hairs, slippers, food items, toothpicks, creams, deodorants, phone repairs, laptop repairs, etc.
Clement David of Geshom Goshen College told Church Times that he made some slippers, which were sold for N10,000 each at the summit venue.
Miss Lillian from Tonikem College also sold some of the artificial hairs she made for about N15,000. Other students spoke about their dreams of becoming fashion designers, website developers, make-up artists, businessmen, business women, chefs, and security experts.