The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in partnership with members of the Organised Private Sector, is championing creativity and youth-led enterprises as preparations intensify for the 41st Omolayole Management Lecture Series.
At a press conference in Lagos on Tuesday, LCCI President Gabriel Idahosa,represented by the Chamber’s Deputy President, Leye Kupoluyi,emphasised that young innovators are central to building sustainable businesses. He stressed the need to mentor them not only to refine their craft but also to safeguard and monetise their creative output.
This year’s lecture is scheduled for Thursday, September 25, at Commerce House. Organisers described the event’s theme, “Plotlines of Prosperity: African Stories, African Rights & African Returns,” as both a timely intervention and a transformative call to action.
Idahosa explained that the theme seeks to interrogate the deeper relationship between storytelling, dignity, and prosperity. “By interrogating the plotlines of prosperity, we are committing ourselves to a deeper understanding of how narratives shape perception, how rights secure dignity, and how returns,economic, social, and cultural,must be maximised for the continent’s sustainable growth,” he said.
Kupoluyi added that this year’s edition would shine a deliberate spotlight on youth entrepreneurship and creativity. “If you don’t tell a story, nobody will tell a story,” he said, underscoring the importance of equipping young people with the tools to build enterprises around their talents. He noted that past editions of the lecture had inspired young Nigerians in ICT and other sectors, while this year’s programme would expand the focus to the creative economy.
“Creativity today is not just about acting on stage. It encompasses many things that now drive the economy,” Kupoluyi said, urging young creators to prioritise the protection and commercialisation of their work.
Marcel Mba, President of the AIESEC Alumni Association, highlighted the organisers’ intention to broaden the conversation beyond Nigeria. To this end, a creative-sector speaker from Kenya,novelist Yvonne Owuor, author of The Dragonfly Sea,has been invited to share insights. “Africa is now our country,” Mba said, arguing that cross-continental collaboration is vital for Africans to tell their own stories and capture greater value from their creativity.
LCCI Director-General, Dr. Chinyere Almona, described the lecture as an empowerment platform for the next generation. “This is a pivotal moment for the young ones and for the future of our nation and our continent,” she remarked, urging stakeholders to attend what she predicted would be a memorable day for participants.
Registrar and Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Oluwatoyin Naiwo, contextualised the theme as an antidote to the rising wave of youth emigration, popularly called japa. “Africa Returns also represents the fact that we are promoting to the youth,especially in light of relocation,that there is still a lot to offer in Nigeria,” he said. “We encourage our youths to see that Nigeria is great, and it can be greater.”
In his closing remarks, Idahosa extended a formal invitation on behalf of the late Dr. Michael Omolayole, in whose honour the lecture series is held. He noted that speakers at the 41st edition would include business leaders, academics, and creative-industry practitioners who will explore how African narratives, rights, and returns can drive inclusive economic growth and ensure youth-led enterprises capture the value they create.
