Young innovators who took part in the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt have been praised for their inventiveness and tenacity by Amb. Maureen Tamuno, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL). Since the event began on August 20, 2025, the participants’ progress has delighted the Company’s CEO.
Tamuno called the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt Competition a “pioneering effort” to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during her remarks at the competition’s grand finale yesterday. She said the competition had demonstrated the young people’s extraordinary inventiveness and entrepreneurial spirit, and that their accomplishments were indicative of the growing vibrancy of Abuja’s economy.
According to her: “Each of you have demonstrated resilience, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines the new face of the Federal Capital Territory.”
Continuing, Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was praised by Tamuno for his steadfast support of youth empowerment initiatives, especially the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt.
Following the presentation of their business pitches, 14 finalists from the Creative, ICT, and Agriculture sectors were selected, with three overall winners from each category. The overall winners are Okesade Brightness (NeciGlobal) Creative Enterprise, Valentine Okoli (Bach & Moen Limited) for Agriculture, and Owura Josiah (Greenjolt Solutions) for ICT. The first runners-up received N750,000, the second runners-up N500,000, and the overall winners received N1 million each.
Tamuno praised everyone who took part in the Abuja Youth Talent Hunt for their bravery and perseverance in addition to congratulating the winners. She emphasised that achievement extends beyond awards, noting that their readiness to acquire new skills and develop them puts them in a position to be among the leading young leaders revolutionising the city’s economy.
She went on to state: “Even for those who may not have emerged as winners, you have achieved something truly special.”
According to her, the program was designed to help enterprise development and youth empowerment. It also supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which emphasises entrepreneurship, inclusive economic growth, and job creation, as well as the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike’s goal of turning Abuja into a thriving centre for innovation and sustainable development. She revealed that 60 of the competition’s top competitors will be featured at the upcoming Abuja Business and Investment Expo as part of AICL’s ongoing dedication to youth development.
Furthering, she disclosed that young entrepreneurs will have a chance to network with possible investors and showcase ideas that are ready for investment at the EXPO. She said: “We believe that your ideas will prove that an investment in our youth is, indeed, a direct investment in our collective future.”
Dr. Chudi Ugwuada-Ezirigwe, the Acting Managing Director (MD) of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), praised AICL for its innovative collaboration and dedication to encouraging youth entrepreneurship in Abuja. He stated that outstanding business concepts that have the potential to boost employment and economic growth in important industries have been found through the Talent Hunt.
However, to support young entrepreneurs through funding opportunities, capacity-building initiatives, and mentorship, Dr. Ugwuada-Ezirigwe reiterated AEA’s willingness to keep working with AICL and other stakeholders.
BrandSpur Nigeria news reports that the Acting Managing Director emphasised that one of the best ways to achieve sustainable development in the FCT and beyond is to empower young people via enterprise.
Charles Odi, the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), thanked the organisers in his goodwill message for their calculated efforts to support youth-led entrepreneurship and innovation. He pointed out that the project is in line with SMEDAN’s mission to assist small and medium-sized businesses as catalysts for employment growth and the advancement of the country.
Adding, he described the young participants as essential contributors to Nigeria’s economic future and praised them for their inventiveness and tenacity. He underlined that creating a resilient and inclusive economy requires equipping young entrepreneurs with the necessary knowledge, guidance, and funding.
