Key points
- Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga Agboola has urged Nigerian youths to embrace consistency and excellence to overcome economic barriers.
- He said the idea for Flutterwave emerged from efforts to solve payment fragmentation across Africa.
- Agboola encouraged young people to invest in artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
- Music producer Cobhams Asuquo emphasised hard work, resilience and mentorship.
- Fashion entrepreneur Prudent Gabriel-Akpobi said entrepreneurship depends more on grit and vision than starting capital.
Main Story
The Chief Executive Officer of Flutterwave, Olugbenga Agboola, has urged Nigerian youths to leverage consistency, excellence and emerging technologies to overcome structural economic barriers and create opportunities across Africa.
Agboola spoke at the 2026 Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) summit in Abuja, where he shared his entrepreneurial journey and the inspiration behind building one of Africa’s leading fintech companies. He explained that his experience as a software engineer exposed him to the challenge of payment fragmentation across the continent, despite Nigeria operating one of the world’s most advanced real-time payment systems through the Nigeria Instant Payment (NIP) network.
According to him, the lack of integration among African payment systems inspired the creation of Flutterwave as a platform designed to connect businesses and facilitate seamless transactions across borders.Agboola said building global business relationships requires trust, credibility and the ability to maintain strong professional networks over time. Addressing thousands of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members at the summit, he encouraged young Nigerians to actively explore opportunities in artificial intelligence and other digital technologies, noting that technological advancement has expanded access to global opportunities.
Also speaking, music producer and songwriter Cobhams Asuquo said his success was built on discipline, focus and perseverance despite the challenges associated with visual impairment. Asuquo recalled growing up in a military barracks where his inability to participate in many physical activities led him to spend countless hours practising the piano and developing his musical skills. He urged young people not to rely on excuses and advised them to work hard enough for their competence to outweigh any limitations they may face.
The music producer also stressed the importance of mentorship, saying structured guidance can help young professionals avoid common mistakes and accelerate personal growth. Fashion entrepreneur Prudent Gabriel-Akpobi told participants that entrepreneurship is driven primarily by resilience, innovation and a clear vision rather than access to large amounts of capital.
She said aspiring entrepreneurs should focus on making the best use of available resources, remain disciplined and seek opportunities to create value within their communities. Gabriel-Akpobi also encouraged youths to make meaningful contributions to society, drawing from her experience funding fashion scholarships for young Nigerians.
The Issues
- Youth unemployment and limited economic opportunities.
- The need for innovation-driven entrepreneurship.
- Adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.
- Access to mentorship and professional development.
- Building resilient and sustainable businesses.
What’s Being Said
- Olugbenga Agboola said building global business relations requires “extreme trust and maintaining bridges.”
- Agboola challenged young people to actively invest in emerging artificial intelligence technologies, noting that digital tools have democratised global economic opportunities.
- Cobhams Asuquo said individuals must work multiple times harder to ensure “their competency overshadows any physical or societal limitations.”
- Asuquo urged youths to actively seek out structured mentorship networks to avoid navigating long, lonely professional paths.
- Prudent Gabriel-Akpobi said sustainable entrepreneurship depends on “personal grit, innovation, and an unwavering vision rather than starting capital.”
- She urged young people to “eliminate excuses and utilise their lives to make an immediate, tangible impact on those around them.”
What’s Next
- Youth participants are expected to apply lessons from the summit in their entrepreneurial and career journeys.
- Stakeholders are likely to continue promoting technology-driven entrepreneurship and AI adoption.
- Mentorship and skills development initiatives may receive increased attention.
- Discussions around youth empowerment and innovation are expected to continue through future YEEP programmes.
Bottom Line
Speakers at the YEEP summit urged Nigerian youths to rely on excellence, resilience, innovation and emerging technologies to create opportunities, overcome limitations and build sustainable careers and businesses.
