By Laja Thomas

Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Cross River State, Patrick Ugbe has commended telecommunications giant, MTN, on its MTN Link Forum initiative, which he describes as a transformation catalyst for youths in Cross River State.

Speaking at the MTN Link Forum event at the Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel, Calabar, Ugbe remarked that since debut in the state, MTN Link Forum has added value in terms of capacity-building to the youths in the state.

“What MTN Link Forum has succeeded in doing is to encourage a lot of youths in Cross River State to be bold and take up the challenge of becoming their own bosses. Although it is a difficult step to take, considering that they are stepping into the unknown, but by listening to those who have done it and made a success of their businesses, they are inspired to also become entrepreneurs and add value to the economic development of the state,” he stated.

Sharing his success story, Nzan Ogbe, a Special Adviser in the Governor’s Office harped on the need for self-discovery and staying focused. According to him, “knowing who you are and what value you have been created to add to the human race, is the first step to becoming an entrepreneur and a successful one at that.”

On his part, Ekerete Gam-Ikom, a mentor and insurance magnate, recommended that, to succeed in any business, entrepreneurs should learn to adopt risk as a lifestyle, adding that while taking advantage of networking opportunities, efforts should be made to understand the reason for engagement:

Reiterating MTN’s commitment to enriching lives, Aminu Sani, the Brand Manager, Progressive Segment, MTN described the forum as one of the many initiatives by MTN to enrich lives. According to him, MTN Link Forum is a value-added platform for young, budding entrepreneurs and professionals, to network and connect to their dreams.