The Regina Pacis Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has endorsed entrepreneurship as a means of self-actualisation and self-sustenance, offering financial independence to young Nigerians. This was announced on the 19th anniversary of the NGO in Okpoduma village, Izzi local government area, Ebonyi State, by the organisation’s founder, Arc. Edward Nkwegu. Self-sufficiency is both a challenging endeavour and a delicate subject to discuss. It’s difficult to address because self-sufficiency is intimately linked to monetary matters, and most people are ‘insane’ about money.
He said, according to Albert Einstein, that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome is insanity. Most people consistently make the same mistakes regarding their financial situation. Spending beyond one’s means, expecting a harvest in the absence of labour, etc., are all signs of this mistake of reasoning. It is impossible to separate the relationship between cause and effect, means and ends, and between seeds and their fruits because the effect blossoms within the cause, the end is embedded within the means, and the fruit is present within the seed.
Many educated individuals know little or nothing about money.
Most people think that to be great, one must have only one side of nature: the sweet side without the bitter side. Sadly, just as one can’t have an inside without an outside or light with no shadow, self-sustenance can’t be achieved without providing a service that benefits other people. All things in nature are for sale and cannot be given away. Unfortunately, many people who invest time and money into higher education come out of it knowing little or nothing about being financially stable and independent. That’s because teachers can’t share knowledge they don’t possess.
At the Regina Pacis Foundation, they believe ignorance and a deficiency in financial education are the root causes of poverty, which can be defined as the inability to support oneself independently. Attempting to make ends meet can be difficult for people of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. He explained that most of the wealthy now live in poverty. Many people from the previous middle class are now among the poorest of the poor, whereas the poorest of yesterday’s have already been relegated to the early graves.
Knowledge, which starts with words, is the new currency.
Furthermore, he added that there is a new era called “the lost generation.” They’re in their late 30s and 40s but haven’t worked a day despite having first, second, and even third degrees. Some even raise children while staying at home with their parents. He lamented that they had no chance of ever working. Arc. Edward Nkwegu also stated that the mission of the Regina Pacis Foundation is to offer individuals a second chance in life by providing them with financial education to help them become independent. He affirmed that knowledge, which starts with words, is the new currency. The great news is that words are free.
Money can’t end poverty on its own. People often give money to the poor as a gesture of charity. Giving money to the poor can prolong their poverty. The language of the poor needs to be modernised through financial education if they are ever to eradicate poverty. It is impossible to overstate the importance of updating the education system’s curricula. To provide young people, women, and the most vulnerable members of society with secure and equitable employment, he argued, the incubation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) is a pressing social need.
Youths should become entrepreneurs and employers of others.
Lastly, He said that MSME are still the major employers of workers around the world and the heart of every economy. Similarly, Dr. Eze Emmanuel, the event’s chairman, urged the youths to go into entrepreneurship and become employers of others. Chief Godwin Ogbaga, Nigerian ex-Minister of Power and Steel for State, also urged young people across the nation to show resilience in the face of the country’s current economic crisis. Holy mass was officiated by His Lordship, Dr. Peter Chukwu, Bishop of the Abakaliki Catholic Diocese, to kick off the events.
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