By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Stakeholders and top business leaders who gathered at the 5th Edition of the Niger Delta MSME Summit in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Tuesday have urged young business owners in the region to take advantage of the enormous opportunities in the Tech and Artificial Intelligence (AI) space to scale their businesses.
Leading the charge in his remarks at the flagship event organized by the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP), Special Guest of Honour, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, noted that the world is now in the fourth industrial revolution, powered by “AI, Biotechnology and the internet space”.
Diri, who was represented by Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, Secretary to the State Government, noted that global resources are fast diminishing – with the implication that only smart-minded business owners will benefit from the opportunities ahead. “It is only people who are able to create an order in chaos and act fast that can survive,” he noted. The governor commended the participants, describing them as “intentional”.
Guest Speaker, Dr. George Omoraro, speaking on the theme “Enhancing the Role of MSMEs as Drivers of Sustainable Growth and Innovation,” emphasized the vast opportunities in the virtual job space through which young people can earn remotely. He added that Africa currently has the largest pool of online freelancers. “The greatest resource that we have in this region is our people. Our oil can get finished. The world can move beyond oil, but the world cannot move beyond people. So it’s time for us to develop ourselves, learn the new skills, things that are demanded globally.
“I talk a lot about AI, Digital Marketing, Design writing, Virtual Assistants, all of those things. It’s high time that we learn these skills, put them to use, and we can begin to develop our community by ourselves, because nobody’s coming to save us this time. We’re waiting for someone to give to us. We’re waiting for handouts. If you want something that’s sustainable, that can last from year to year, you have to develop something yourself. That’s why I believe in ‘upskilling, reskilling, retooling’ yourself, re-educating yourself,” the multi-industry business leader advised.
In his opening remarks, Founder and Host of the Summit, Mr. Moses Siloko Siasia, recalled that the initiative has provided grants to over 650 young business owners across the Niger Delta region since its launch. These businesses, he added, have in turn created more than 20,000 jobs. “We are building men and women in the region that will stand the test of time and become changemakers”.
Following a BootCamp/Breakout Session on ‘Growing a Digital Economy for Niger Delta,’ Siasia presented grants ranging from N500,000 to N1,000,000 to young business owners whose ideas were adjudged the most innovative. Charging the beneficiaries – who received credit alerts of their grants instantly, Siasia urged them to always add a touch of “excellence” to the services they render.
Earlier in his welcome address, Coordinator of the NDYP, Mr. Gerald So-George, stated that as the Niger Delta embraces new opportunities in technology, skills, finance, energy, and enterprise development, MSMEs remain central to building a more inclusive and competitive future. “This summit builds on our collective commitment to strengthen the economic fabric of the Niger Delta by empowering the enterprises that form its backbone. MSMEs are not only the engines of job creation—they are catalysts of innovation, community resilience, and long-term sustainability,” he added.
The event also featured a strategic Panel Session on ‘SMEs and Entrepreneurship’. The panelists, comprising top business leaders, shared their thoughts on the need for young business owners to adopt tech-driven solutions. They also discussed the possibility of creating a tech innovation hub in the region.
