Shifting mindsets through youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria

In Gusau, Zamfara State an area often challenged by insecurity, unemployment, and lack of innovation infrastructure we saw a need to ignite the entrepreneurial spirit among young people. To address this, we launched the "NEXTGEN Entrepreneurship Bootcamp & Expo", targeting secondary school students, particularly those in their final year (SS3), with a mission to prepare them for life beyond school through hands-on business education and digital branding skills.

This initiative emerged from our deep belief that young people, even at the age of 18 and under, can become catalysts for economic transformation if given the right tools, exposure, and community support. We began by organizing the NEXTGEN Bootcamp, which reached students from seven public and three private secondary schools, engaging over 3,000 youth and community members. The bootcamp featured tailored entrepreneurship classes on topics like starting local businesses, improving existing ventures, digital branding, packaging, and customer experience. It wasn't just theoretical we emphasized storytelling, peer learning, and showcasing local examples youth could relate to.

The momentum of the bootcamp culminated in a community-wide Expo, where students, teachers, parents, traditional leaders, and government officials came together to witness the outcomes. Forty girls (in pairs, across 20 business stalls) under the age of 18 presented their newly improved or newly launched businesses. From natural skincare products to food innovations and crafts, these young entrepreneurs proudly displayed their brands many for the very first time.

What made the Expo truly special was the pitch competition, judged by local government officials and traditional rulers. These young girls had just a few minutes to explain their ideas, market potential, and vision. Three winning teams were selected to receive startup capital and mentoring as part of our ongoing support program.

Beyond the winners, the real success was in the mindset shift. Many of these students had never imagined themselves as entrepreneurs, let alone pitching to dignitaries. Teachers told us they saw a change in how students engaged in class and viewed their future. Parents began asking how their children could get involved next year. And some of the local traditional leaders expressed a desire to host similar initiatives in their communities.

This matters because Zamfara, like many parts of Northern Nigeria, has long been excluded from the digital and entrepreneurial conversations shaping the rest of the world. But young people here have ideas, energy, and ambition. What they often lack is opportunity and exposure.

Through initiatives like the NEXTGEN Entrepreneurship Bootcamp & Expo, we're proving that with the right spark, even the most overlooked youths can build solutions, create jobs, and transform their communities starting now, not someday. We hope to scale this model across more regions, combining grassroots innovation with policy engagement to build a generation of doers, dreamers, and disruptors.

By Musa Al-Amin, WSA Youth Ambassador in Nigeria.