The Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, Mrs Titilope Oguntuga, has lauded the ‘One Kindred, One Business Initiative’ (OKOBI) as a transformative framework for community empowerment and financial literacy.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘OKOBI’ Students’ Club at Claretian University of Nigeria, Nekede, near Owerri, Oguntuga noted that the initiative aligns with national recovery efforts by helping informal businesses enter the formal banking sector and building a shared economic vision.

“The Imo local initiative of OKOBI is a clear commitment to empowering communities, strengthening local economies, and preparing a new generation of entrepreneurs.

“We believe that when communities are equipped with the right tools and opportunities, they can transform their own future,” she stated.

Oguntuga further described the initiative as a “shared economic vision that reduces risk and builds collective progress.”

She pledged that IHS Nigeria, a subsidiary of IHS Towers and a leading independent owner, operator, and developer of shared telecommunication infrastructure, would continue to support viable community-driven programmes through the initiative.

Also speaking, Mrs Rukaiya El-Rufai of the Office of the Vice President, announced that the Federal Government had approved the nationwide scale-up of the ‘OKOBI’ model to tackle unemployment.

El-Rufai emphasised that entrepreneurship is now a necessity for Nigeria’s youth, noting that the initiative supports financial inclusion, digital adoption, and gender equity.

“This initiative aligns strongly with our broader national priorities, ensuring communities and students transition from job seekers to job creators to improve Nigeria’s global Human Capital Index ranking by 2030,” she stated.

In her remarks, Imo Deputy Governor, Mrs Chinyere Ekomaro, restated the state government’s dedication to community-driven development.

He described ‘OKOBI’ as a “movement” designed to stimulate self-reliance.

“The State Government is not merely distributing funds but investing in ideas, in dreams, and in the future of our great state,” Ekomaru remarked.

She urged students to transform their conceived ideas into impactful ventures.

Providing the economic context for the initiative, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Prof. Kenneth Amaeshi, explained that ‘OKOBI’ was birthed to address the high unemployment rate among the state’s literate population.

He revealed that while 50% of the state’s 3.5 million eligible workers are unemployed, the OKOBI initiative has already created over 20,000 jobs through 600 businesses.

Amaeshi expressed delight that the Federal Government has adopted the model, which operates across community, social group, and student levels, as a national strategy for grassroots economic development.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of Claretian University, Rev. Fr. Wence Madu, praised the initiative for addressing the shortage of trades and ingenuity in the region.

He commended Uzodimma for the “well-thought-out programme” and expressed pride in the university being selected as a primary beneficiary of the student-focused expansion.

Highpoint of the event was IHS Nigeria’s award of N9.5 million in grants to seven multipurpose cooperative societies to bolster their community-driven ventures.