Entrepreneurship, key to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, national development—Bishop Ighele

The General Superintendent of Holy Spirit Mission (aka) Happy Family Church) Bishop (Dr) Charles Ighele, has advocated entrepreneurship as a veritable key to Nigeria’s economic prosperity and national development.

Bishop Ighele made his position known while addressing his audience as a Guest Speaker at an end of year forum organised by the Association of Christian Correspondents of Nigeria (ACCoN) which took place at Vineyard Christian Ministries, Ajoa Estate, on Thursday, December 5, 2024.

The theme of the event which attracted reputable men of God in Nigeria was, “The Church: Entrepreneurship and Innovation for a Prosperous Nigeria.”

Bishop Ighele said that the focus of any government should be to ensure the greatest happiness of the citizens and the only way to guarantee that is through production. “The primary economic goal of any government is to make sure that citizens have the highest standard of living. And like economists have said, you cannot have a high standard of living without a high standard of productivity. Productivity is what gives birth to a high standard of living.”

He also disclosed that in seeking to advance economic growth a nation like Nigeria must leverage on those areas it has comparative advantage. “So now, I have seen and I have known that for a nation to develop, a nation to rise, you have to look at what are your areas of comparative advantage, where are you strongest, my super punch? And then you give it.”

Charles Ighele said that the Church must be deliberate about driving entrepreneurship in the country.

Further he said that the Church must be able to provide funding for industrialisation by bridging the funding gap in making entrepreneurship attractive to a larger population of the Church.

He said that the Church must dispatch its people into areas that form nation building, and called on Church leaders to drive initiatives that promote agripreneurs.

He advised the nation to toe the line of Israel, Singapore and Hong Kong, nations that have risen from nothing to achieve economic prosperity and national development through entrepreneurship, especially Agriculture.

He decried the attitude of Nigeria in heaping all her hope in petroleum, whereas her strength lies in agriculture, her comparative advantage.

Speaking about Israel, he said “Israel is known to be the country in the world with the greatest number of entrepreneurs.

On what his ministry is doing to deepen entrepreneurship, Ighele disclosed that the church’s institute of entrepreneurship & skills development is set to take off by 2025.

Sam Aboyeji, General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria, who was the father of the day, said further that the theme of the forum is apt in that the Church plays a vital role in nation building. According to him, this is done in several ways, including by advancing Christ’s glorious gospel, promoting good values in society, and modeling the right moral leadership.

“The Church has engaged in several societal interventions aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and innovation over the years with the establishment of schools, hospitals, award of scholarships, setting up vocational and ICT centers, which in many instances are made free for the benefit of the youth,” he said.

He said that Jesus Christ had emphasized that it is the role of the Church to be the salt of the earth; hence the Church brings good aroma and preservation to the nation.

According to him, the Church is also the light of the world; showing and pointing the direction towards a better, peaceful and prosperous society. “The Church continues to contribute its quota in those moments towards advancing a prosperous nation,” Aboyeji said.

President, ACCoN, Adeola Ogunlade, earlier in his welcome address said that the Church as a catalyst for sustainable development must create solutions to national challenges.

He said that faith fuels innovation and that the Church through its teachings must be able to innovate and come up with practical solutions to bridge the youth unemployment gap in the country through entrepreneurship. “What can the Church do differently,” he asked.

Adeola further disclosed that the annual forum was aimed at fostering meaningful conversations around the Church’s pivotal role in advancing national development through entrepreneurship and innovation.