Graduate unemployment suggests production of entrepreneurs in varsities — Bowen DVC

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Prof. Tunde Lawal, has said that prolonged unemployment in any economy indicates the increasing production of functional graduate entrepreneurs by the country’s tertiary institutions.

He made the remark recently at the 2025 Entrepreneurship Week which was organised by the institution as an avenue created for students to exhibit the products and services they learnt during their vocational studies at the university.

Prof. Lawal, who represented the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Jonathan Babalola, at the event, stated that it is a national trade fair that attracts renowned entrepreneurs from across the country to exhibit their products and services, and to interact with students who are still learning the art and science of entrepreneurship, sharing ideas on what works in the business world. 

He added that many Bowen University alumni, who are now self-employed based on the vocational skills acquired while in school, also participated in the trade fair to showcase their products and services.

According to him, it has become imperative for Nigerian universities to integrate entrepreneurial and vocational courses into their curricula with the aim of developing future industrialists for the Nigerian economy.

Prof. Lawal reassured Nigerians that Bowen University would continue to invest in the development of entrepreneurial education to ensure that every programme in the university produces entrepreneurs for the national economy.

According to him, Bowen University remains committed to its goal of producing reliable and productive future industrialists for Nigeria, from whom captains of industry will emerge.

Speaking in a similar vein at the event, the Coordinator of the university’s Entrepreneurship Centre, Associate Prof. Olaosebikan Olusola, noted that since the National Universities Commission (NUC) directed Nigerian universities in 2014 to integrate entrepreneurship studies into their programmes, Bowen University has been at the forefront of developing skilled, entrepreneurship-based graduates for the Nigerian economy as job creators. 

He declared that many of the university’s alumni are self-employed and thriving as entrepreneurs, and some of them also returned for the trade fair.

Abimbola Johnson, an alumna from the third graduating set, confirmed that the entrepreneurial education instilled by Bowen University could not be overemphasised, as it has transformed the lives of many students, using herself as an example. 

She noted that Bowen University graduates are in high demand in the labour market, even though many of them are self-employed.

She encouraged current Bowen University undergraduates to cultivate a passion for entrepreneurial and vocational education and urged other tertiary institutions in the country to emulate Bowen in producing more job creators for Nigerian society. “I am proud to be a Bowen alumnus,” she said.

Onyeka Alika of Meristem Securities Limited, a notable entrepreneur from Lagos, commended Bowen University for its commitment to high-quality entrepreneurial education and for exposing students to business skills while in school.

He also expressed satisfaction with the trade fair organised by the university for entrepreneurs in Nigeria to showcase their products and services on campus and to familiarise undergraduates with real-world business activities in preparation for the labour market. “Bowen is one of the private institutions in the country to relate with,” he said.

Also, Inioluwa Babalola, a 400-level undergraduate in the Public Health programme, affirmed the marketable entrepreneurial education skills imparted by the university.

According to her, though she is in the health sciences field, the university has exposed her to the business world, where she can be self-employed through the entrepreneurial skills she has been trained in.

“Bowen University graduates cannot be jobless; they are job creators. This is because I know many alumni who are employers of labour in the country,” she noted.

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Similarly, Oluwole Olubusayo of Florem Bakery, Ibadan, another former student of the institution, asserted that an entrepreneurial lifestyle is fundamental to economic sustainability.

According to her, entrepreneurial education is essential as it helps individuals navigate the entrepreneurial journey. 

She said that anything that is to be successful requires training, which is the essence of entrepreneurial education. “The knowledge I have gained on entrepreneurship has helped me become relevant in the drinks industry,” she said.

“The lecture I gave was on turning scientific ideas into startups. It’s important to identify problems around us and look for how to solve the problems. People are always willing to pay anyone who can solve their problems. I also encourage the Bowen University students to develop their skills. Everyone has something they are good at or passionate about and that can be monetized.

“Nigerian institutions should encourage entrepreneurship education to ensure a balanced individual who is thinking of how to solve problems,” she noted.

She stated that Bowen University is doing well in educating students on entrepreneurship and preparing them for life after school, describing this effort as highly commendable.

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