Youth empowerment, key to national development — UNILAG VC
By Faizat Adeboye
The Vice chancellor of University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe has said youth empowerment is the path to quicken national growth and development.
Ogundipe stated this while delivering his welcome address during the 51st convocation of the school.
In a Lecture titled, “National Development and Knowledge Economy in the Digital Age: Leapfrogging SMEs into the 21st Century,” he said it falls within the strategic plan of the University.
According to him, this is because the school was aware that there was a need to empower the youth to move the economy of Nigeria forward.
He said, “For University of Lagos, national development is a key consideration in our academic activities. Thus, we are at the forefront of developing critical manpower required for building and developing our nation.
He added that, “Our courses and research thematic areas are focused on preparing our students for nation building and solving societal challenges.”
He emphasised that the University established the Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre for promoting entrepreneurship activities and orientation among the university students and staff.
He said that the 25-Year Strategic Plan of the University of Lagos seeks “to promote Self-reliance, Entrepreneurship and Exemplary Leadership skills and Capacity in our students,” which he said he had pursued vigorously since his assumption of office as the 12th Vice chancellor of the University.
Ogundipe said, “Our dream is to produce 5,000 serial entrepreneurs annually from our student population. We have been able to train a lot of them in various areas and attracted mentors for them. We have also perfected the modalities to register companies for them. These students we are certain will create jobs and reduce the burden of unemployment in the society.”
He appreciated the support the school has received from various individuals and organisations which has helped to accelerate the vision of the school.
He added that, “The Bank of Industry specifically is supporting the University with N250m as soft loans for students whose business ideas are seen to be viable.”
He added that, the Convocation Lecture will further stimulate debates on how best Universities can create the much-needed environment for developing and harnessing the students’ ingenuity for nation building.
He assured everyone that the University of Lagos will continue to take the lead teaching, cutting-edge research and community development.
The chairman of the event, Pastor. Dr. Tunde Bakare also said Nigeria Job crises remain an indication that Nigeria needs more entrepreneurs and job creators than job seekers. He advised the students to be job creators not job seekers.
Pastor Bakare also said, it is high time higher institutions started awarding graduates with thesis that are convertible to viable business plan, andthe government started providing the required input from uninterrupted power supply to other needed supports for businesses to thrive.
He said, “The test of our progress is not whether we as a nation add more to the abundance of those who had much, the depth of our progress will be whether we provide enough to those who have little. We cannot always build the future of our youths but we can always build our youths for the future.”
