By Deborah Onatunde
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, FAS, has announced at the IGNITE Series 2.1 event held on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at the Tayo Aderinokun Hall that the University of Lagos is set to register a total of 2,000 companies for student entrepreneurs of the University in 2022.
The Vice-Chancellor in his opening address, spoke on the determination of the University to produce solution providers and world changers. He applauded the promoters of the IGNITE Initiative for linking with the vision of UNILAG to train and produce job creators, and not graduates who would add up to the numbers of the unemployed.
“From the last group of participants here at IGNITE, we have registered 66 businesses for our students with the Corporate Affairs Commission. In 2022, UNILAG will register 2,000 companies for our student entrepreneurs with no strings attached”, the Vice-Chancellor said.
Prof. Oluwatoyin also inspired participants at this year’s edition of the programme to ignite their potentials, so that they would be celebrated.
Group Managing Director of Sahara Energy Group, Mr. Kola Adesina, gave the lead address at the event. The consummate entrepreneur, who is also an alumnus of UNILAG, encouraged the student entrepreneurs to wake up and be vibrant with their immediate environment. He also stating the challenges that surround them, which has caused many of their colleagues to relocate to other countries, as their are opportunities waiting to be converted to treasures.
“You must have a burning desire to write your own story,”he told the student entrepreneurs. “Anyone who wants to go up must look up. Smile at the world, and the world will laugh back at you.”
Mr. Adesina appealed to the student entrepreneurs to never give up in their effort to make a difference with their ideas, reminding them that only one who endures till the end will win the prize.
The Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria on Ease of Doing Business, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, was fully represented at the event by Mr. Ayokunle Ojeniyi as he challenged the student entrepreneurs not to nag about the obstacles they see, but to take responsibility for change in their personal lives and their communities at large.