In a powerful ceremony marking the launch of its 2025 Entrepreneurial Skills Acquisition and Employability Training Programme, Igbinedion University, Okada, has declared a bold mission to transform its students into job creators and “drivers of the national economy.” The event, which brought together university leadership, students, and government partners, featured a keynote address from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, who argued that Nigerian universities must evolve from being centres of knowledge consumption to engines of value creation. He described entrepreneurial thinking as an imperative, not an elective, and the crucial bridge between academic theory and real-world transformation for a nation grappling with youth unemployment.
Professor Ezemonye paid a special tribute to the university’s founder, Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, whom he hailed as the “ultimate entrepreneurial curriculum.” He celebrated the Chancellor’s journey from humble beginnings to building a vast business empire as a living testament to the power of vision and resilience, noting that the establishment of Nigeria’s first private university was itself a monumental act of entrepreneurship driven by a belief in education’s transformative power. This visionary foundation was presented as the inspiration for the university’s ongoing commitment to fostering an innovative and self-reliant spirit in its students.
Adding a crucial policy perspective, Mr. Paul Ageewua, representing the Head of the Edo State Office of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr. Clifford Imohimi, outlined the practical steps needed to turn ideas into sustainable businesses. He emphasized the critical role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as the engine of the economy and stressed the importance of formal business registration. He detailed the benefits, such as legal protection and access to loans and grants, while warning of the risks of operating an unregistered venture, including a lack of legitimacy and ineligibility for government support.
The university’s hands-on approach to incubation was detailed by the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, who revealed the extensive infrastructure supporting student ventures. She highlighted the 13 specialized schools within the Entrepreneurship Complex, offering training in fields from technology and fashion to animal husbandry and cosmetics. The Director also mentioned recent international collaborations, including a sponsored trip to China for students and staff, as evidence of the university’s commitment to providing global-standard, practical entrepreneurial experience that has already enabled many students to launch and incubate their own businesses from campus.
The event culminated in a unified charge to the students to seize the “golden opportunity” of the training programme. With the spirit of the Esama as their inspiration, they were urged to embrace the coming weeks as a period of intense learning and to dare greatly. The ceremony successfully set the stage for a transformative initiative, blending visionary inspiration, regulatory guidance, and practical skills to empower a new generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs.
