The ‘Super E.A.G.L.E.S’

Entrepreneurship transforms the economy and modernizes the society through the instrumentality of creativity, innovation, knowledge and education. Creativity is not only the bedrock of entrepreneurship; it is the push for ‘E.A.G.L.E.S’ – Expression, Achievement, Growth, Liveliness, Experimentation and Solution. An entrepreneurial ecosystem is branded “Green White Green”. So, whether it is NFA, FIFA, AFCON, or Silicon Valley, it is all about ‘Super EAGLES’. Even if it is an IT company or any kind of enterprise or organisation such as AIT, Channels, NTA, Dangote Group, SON or INNOSON Motors, an entrepreneur channels knowledge and deploys creativity in creating value and making the world a better place. Knowledge is the driver of perpetual productivity and sustainability.

This article is an attempt to creatively convey the entrepreneurial message in the ‘GWG’ colours, that is, the practice of green entrepreneurship. Green entrepreneurship is the pursuit of business opportunities that create social, environmental, and economic value while reducing environmental impact. This approach to entrepreneurship is essential to the creation of a green economy, which promotes sustainable development and reduces ecological risk while enhancing social well-being.

The first ‘green’ is a proxy for creativity, ‘white’ stands for knowledge while the other ‘green’ represents sustainable practices. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is the push for environmental prosperity.

Entrepreneurship is a spirit; leadership is its soul while the society is its body. Without the spirit, the body is dead. Without creativity, the society will be ‘lifeless’ and without the force of innovation, the economy will be stagnated. Entrepreneurship begins with creativity; it progresses with knowledge and ends with sustainability. Sustainable development is however the ultimate goal of entrepreneurial practices. So, the twenty first century entrepreneur must prioritize sustainability above innovation. Innovation is the ability to apply creative solutions to problems and to opportunities to enhance and to enrich people’s lives. Innovation and sustainability focus on prosperity and posterity, respectively.

Entrepreneurship is a function of the entrepreneur. E = f (e). Become a “Green White Green” entrepreneur. Be creative, seek new knowledge and solve real problems. If we don’t embrace “green behaviour” and practices, even the White House (the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States) is not exempted from the devastating consequences of the Greenhouse effect (the process through which heat is trapped near Earth›s surface, resulting in global warming).

Green behavior refers to any behavior that is beneficial to the environment or minimizes harm to the environment (Steg and Vlek, 2009). The green entrepreneur is the one, who cultivates green business with the help of green practices. A green entrepreneur consciously addresses an environmental or social problem/need through the understanding of entrepreneurial ideas. They penetrate the market by swapping conventional or traditional products. Green entrepreneurs deliver the source for beginning and sustaining a green economy by serving green products and services, presenting greener production techniques, enhancing demand for them, and building green jobs. The concept of green entrepreneur rises from environmental concerns such as global warming, pollutions, scarcity of natural resources, ozone layer depletion, climate change and other disaster caused by the disruption in the ecosystem. Due to this growing awareness of environmental knowledge, consumers are becoming more receptive towards an eco-friendly or green product. So this inclination of the consumers leads towards the development of the green market. The green market is an emerging market, which fetches ample chances in every field such as green design, green supply chain, green production, and many more. Green skills encompass a wide range of areas, from renewable energy technologies to sustainable agriculture to green construction. And the good news is that the green economy is growing rapidly, which means there are more and more opportunities for young people to build livelihoods and make meaningful contributions.

Sustainability plan is more important than the creative process. Knowledge drives both. Knowledge is considered as a transferable and inevitable resource that is essential for creating innovations. It is the push for sustainable economic growth. «Knowledge drives innovation, innovation drives productivity, productivity drives economic growth”. – William Brody. Innovation and sustainability are the central issues in economic and environmental prosperity, respectively.

Creativity may ignite possibilities; it is knowledge that drives perpetual productivity and sustainable development. The ‘whiter’ the knowledge, the ‘greener’ the productivity. Unfortunately, the world is advancing in knowledge while losing its greenery. The Cambridge dictionary defines environmental footprint as: the effect that a person, company, activity, etc. has on the environment, for example the amount of natural resources that they use and the amount of harmful gases that they produce. We deplete our natural resources and fail to ‘delete’ the consequences. We are over-dependent on hydrocarbon, burn fossil fuels daily, but fail to explore and invest in alternative energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal energy technologies. An entrepreneur must seek sustainable ways of adapting the world to himself. The “Green White Green” approach is the way to go.

What are the Global Goals for Sustainable Development?

In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals (officially known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs) aiming to create a better world by 2030 by ending poverty, fighting inequality, and addressing the urgency of climate change.

The 17 Global Goals are:

(1) No Poverty, (2) Zero Hunger, (3) Good Health and Well-being, (4) Quality Education, (5) Gender Equality, (6) Clean Water and Sanitation, (7) Affordable and Clean Energy, (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (10) Reduced Inequality, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities, (12) Responsible Consumption and Production, (13) Climate Action, (14) Life Below Water, (15) Life On Land, (16) Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, (17) Partnerships for the Goals.

Congratulations to the Super Eagles, the national football team of Nigeria, for her achievement and brilliant performance in the 2024 AFCON tournament. We hope the “white coach” becomes a symbol of knowledge to help drive perpetual and reproducible result. Let the winning strategy be documented in black and white for knowledge Transfer, Acquisition and Preservation (TAP). Thank you, José Peseiro. Thank you, Stanley Nwabali. Thank you, Victor Osimhen. Thank you, the Super Eagles. Thank you, Nigerians for your love, support and loyalty. There is light at the end of the tunnel.