The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has emphasized the need for Nigeria’s tertiary institutions to become incubators of creativity, industry and sustainable enterprise.
This, he said, aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration, which “boldly prioritises youth empowerment, economic diversification, and inclusive development.”
Dr Alausa made the remarks on Wednesday in his goodwill message at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, at a colloquium and commissioning of the Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneur Centre, a facility donated by the Olufemi Okenla Foundation.
Represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Hon Tolani Sule, the minister noted that the theme of the colloquium, ‘The Role of Tertiary Institutions in Promoting Entrepreneurship in Nigeria’, was apposite.
“In a nation blessed with talent, yet confronted by unemployment, the role of education must evolve. We can no longer afford to produce graduates who seek jobs alone; we must now produce job creators, innovators, and problem-solvers,” he stressed.
“As we commission this Centre today and engage in rich intellectual exchange through the colloquium, let us renew our commitment to empowering our youths – not just with knowledge, but with the tools to transform that knowledge into value.”
He applauded the Olufemi Okenla Foundation for the “visionary investment” and commended the Olabisi Onabanjo University for hosting the laudable programme, and assured of the ministry’s unwavering support in advancing the noble cause.
The donor, Otunba Olufemi Okenla, reminisced about how his entrepreneurial journey started as a pioneer student of the then Ogun State University (now OOU), and how he made up his mind to return someday to give back to the university.
Giving some details, he said the Centre was built at the cost of N350 million, and that N100 million had been set aside for the running of the facility till it can stand on its own.
He said by September, the Centre would admit its first set of students, 10 of them on scholarship, fully paid by the Foundation). He said another 10 students who are members of the Kingsway International Christian Centre would be given similar scholarships.
Otunba Okenla also announced that seed money of N20 million would be given to four brilliant students who graduate from the Centre.
The vice chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, in his remarks recalled how on assumption of office he had prioritized entrepreneurship through a three-point goal: ensuring that OOU students are employable, its alumni become employers of labour, and are able to further their education.
While he congratulated and thanked Okenla for what he had been able to do for the university, Professor Agboola also challenged other alumni to take a cue from Okenla and give back to the university.
The keynote speaker and Director-General, Onitsha Business School, Professor Olusegun Sogbesan, in his paper called for what he termed “a redefinition of the purpose of higher education in Nigeria.
Sogbesan emphasized the need for entrepreneurship to be established as a core academic discipline. Every student, he stressed, regardless of department, should experience entrepreneurial training, launch a live project, and graduate with both a certificate and a practical business mindset.
He stressed that entrepreneurship must no longer be a fallback for those who cannot find jobs, but must be a first-class career path, anchored in deep, practical learning.
He said, “If we continue to graduate students who can only write exams but cannot write proposals; if we continue to produce degrees that do not produce value; if we continue to teach our youths to wait for jobs instead of creating enterprises, then we are complicit in engineering their frustration and Nigeria’s stagnation.”
The Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneur Centre was dedicated by the Senior Pastor of the Kingsway International Christian Centre, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo.
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