From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The Institute of Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeships Management and Administration on Wednesday inducted 53 entrepreneurs and professional apprentices at its 2026 induction ceremony held in Abuja.
The ceremony, organised in collaboration with Enterprise Grooming Institute Ltd, took place at the Labour House and had the theme, ‘Grooming a New Generation of Structured Entrepreneurs and Professional Apprentices for Sustainable National Development’.
Speaking at the event, the President and Chairman of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of Nigeria, Dr Abdulrashid I. U. Yerima, said entrepreneurship and apprenticeship were key drivers of sustainable economic development in Nigeria.
Yerima, who is also a Life Patron of IEAMA, said Nigeria was rich in talent but stressed that talent alone could not translate into prosperity without structure, discipline and ethical guidance.
“When discipline, ethics and structure guide enterprise and learning, they become powerful engines for job creation, innovation and national resilience,” he said.
He described the induction of new members as a deliberate effort to groom a new generation of structured entrepreneurs and professional apprentices capable of driving national development.
“Entrepreneurship must move beyond improvisation to institution. Apprenticeship must evolve from informal survival to professional mastery,” Yerima added.
He urged the inductees to see their induction not merely as recognition, but as a responsibility to uphold standards and contribute meaningfully to society.
In his address, the Director-General of IEAMA, Dr Jerry E. Ibeh, said the institute was established to professionalise entrepreneurship and apprenticeship management in Nigeria, noting that many businesses in the country remained informal and unstructured.
According to him, IEAMA aims to become a globally recognised centre of excellence that equips individuals with the competence to foster innovation, create jobs and drive sustainable economic growth.
“For too long, entrepreneurship in Nigeria has been equated only with hard work and perseverance. IEAMA exists to ensure that business ownership and apprenticeship management are treated as professions governed by standards, ethics and continuous learning,” Ibeh said.
He said the institute had recorded significant progress within less than one year of its establishment, describing the induction as a major milestone.
Earlier, the Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, Ambassador Harrish Yerima Ballah, said structured entrepreneurship and apprenticeship were critical to job creation, innovation and generational wealth transfer.
Ballah, who is also the General Secretary of the institute, noted that proper apprenticeship systems would help reduce youth unemployment and promote transparent training processes.
Also speaking, a member of the IEAMA Governing Board, Dr Prince Ajisefinni, encouraged youths to take advantage of the institute’s programmes to develop viable businesses, particularly in agriculture and other productive sectors.
A breakdown of the inductees showed that 18 were inducted as doctorate fellows, 21 as fellows and 14 as senior members.
Among those inducted as doctorate fellows were Dr Abdulrashid Yerima, Ambassador Harrish Yerima Ballah, Dr Prince Ajisefinni, Sutiya Muhammed Kolo, Ambassador Gladys Ihmade Amiandamhen, Tobi Daniel Oyedele and Taiwo Ajisefinni, among others.