James Emejo in Abuja
China has offerred Nigerian young entrepreneurs an opportunity to tap its expertise, business networks and skills-development programmes to grow their enterprises, create jobs and strengthen contribution to the economy.
Founder/Director of The King’s Patriots Development Foundation (KPDF), Dr. Jude Isaac Dahilo, said the emerging collaboration between Chinese institutions and African youth organisations was aimed at connecting talented young Nigerians with the knowledge, partnerships and opportunities required to turn business ideas into viable enterprises.
Isaac spoke at the sixth China-Africa Special Session of Global Link for Youth Actions, held in Abuja, where KPDF partnered with the World Youth Development Forum (WYDF) to deepen youth exchanges and practical cooperation between China and Africa.
He said the initiative would enable young Nigerians to showcase their businesses, learn from Chinese experience and establish relationships that could improve their prospects of building sustainable enterprises.
The platform would also help identify young people for possible visits to China to acquire practical knowledge and learn from its development experience, he added.
Isaac said the objective was to move beyond dialogue to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs to access expertise and partnerships that could help their businesses expand.
KPDF connects 590 young people across West Africa
Isaac disclosed that KPDF had established a network of about 590 young people across five West African countries, providing mentorship, business support and access to opportunities.
He told THISDAY that the foundation’s engagement with Chinese youth development institutions followed its selection as one of the winners of the 100 Excellence Actions initiative in Beijing. Since 2023, the organisation had been invited to China four times to participate in the World Youth Development Forum.
According to him, the collaboration had already helped some young entrepreneurs gain international exposure, while the foundation had also referred participants to opportunities within the United Nations system and supported others in registering businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
Isaac also said expanding such connections could help address one of the challenges facing Nigeria’s young population: the difficulty of translating education and talent into productive economic activity.
He pointed out that young people needed practical skills, business exposure and the capacity to identify opportunities rather than rely exclusively on formal qualifications and limited salaried employment.
He said, “One proof to show that you are educated is when you graduate from school and you can create jobs.”
He urged young Nigerians to embrace continuous learning, develop practical competencies and build networks that could expose them to business opportunities.
Isaac added that entrepreneurs seeking to benefit from the Chinese youth cooperation platform could approach KPDF for introductions to relevant partners, subject to the suitability of their businesses and opportunities available.
He added that the ultimate goal was to encourage young Africans to become job creators rather than depend solely on employment opportunities, urging them to take advantage of available platforms, build relevant skills and pursue opportunities through collaboration and networking.
CCECC deepens vocational training
Also speaking at the event, Deputy Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Nigeria Limited, Mr. Zhou Dongping, said the company was ready to work with partners to expand opportunities for young people through vocational training, practical experience and business cooperation.
Zhou said CCECC was expanding railway vocational education and training to equip more Nigerians with practical skills, improve their employment prospects and strengthen the local workforce.
He explained that developing local railway professionals would not only improve individual career prospects but also support the long-term development of Nigeria’s railway sector. For businesses, he said, vocational education could help align skills development with workplace requirements, enabling young people to apply classroom learning to practical challenges.
Zhou described young people as an important force in advancing China-Africa relations, stressing that they needed opportunities, professional guidance and reliable partners to turn their ideas into workable projects.
He urged participants to use the forum to identify areas for cooperation, including skills-sharing programmes and practical partnerships that could progress from planning to implementation.
He said, “As a Chinese company deeply rooted in Nigeria, CCECC deeply values its ties with local communities,” he said, adding that the company was prepared to draw on its experience and resources to support initiatives that would help young people build skills and gain practical exposure.
Partnerships support enterprise growth
The initiative further seeks to expand private-sector employment and strengthen the role of small businesses in Nigeria’s production, investment and economic diversification.
Essentially, stronger links with Chinese institutions and businesses could provide access to technical knowledge, professional networks and experience that may be difficult for young Nigerian entrepreneurs to develop independently.
Such cooperation could also create avenues for knowledge transfer and practical training, helping businesses improve their capabilities and prepare for expansion.
However, the economic benefits will depend on whether the connections established through the forum translate into sustained partnerships, accessible training and viable business opportunities.