ENTREPRENEURSHIP: THE ONLY REMEDY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT SAGA – VC, IGBINEDION VARSIY.

The Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, Prof. Ikechukwu Ezemonye has described entrepreneurship as the only tangible antidote to resolve the Nation’s unemployment predicament. Prof. Ezemonye was speaking at the 6^th edition of Practical Training Programmes in Entrepreneurship/Vocational Skills organized for 300 Level Students of the University by the Sir Dr. David Osunde Centre for Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor stated that skilled acquisition is mandatory requirement for growth and that a skilled person can survive in any environment. He described a skill person as someone who is self-employable and therefore can never go hungry.

Speaking on the essence of entrepreneurship programme in the University, Prof. Ezemonye maintained that entrepreneurial skills can among other things promote self-employment, reduce the dependency on white collar job, promote self-reliance and independency, improve self-esteem and change the narratives of individual economic power.

The Vice-Chancellor further stated that these factors necessitated the National University Commission (NUC) to insist that entrepreneurship be part of academic curriculum of Tertiary Institutions.

The event featured two prominent entrepreneurs and motivational speaker who both charged the students to take the bull of their life and future by the horn and engage in creative and productive ventures which is the heart of entrepreneurship.

In his presentation, Mr. Destiny Nosa Uhunamure of the Department of Entrepreneurship University of Benin declared that entrepreneurship is the life line of the Nation. He posited that entrepreneurship goes beyond skill acquisition and that to be a successful entrepreneur, one must be creative. He therefore emphasized Creativity, Innovation, and Ingenuity as the sole of entrepreneurship.

Speaking on the topic; “How to live your life on your own terms”, the second speaker Mrs. Temitope Olanre-Alade of Peter Akinola Foundation, Abeokuta challenged the students to become the substance that others would seek after. The Internationally celebrated motivational speaker used her life experience as example to encourage the students to seek opportunity for the right reason.

She described her adventure into banking, post Nysc as an unfruitful voyage because she was attracted to the profession for the simple reason of the Corporate manner of dressing by Bankers. She encouraged the students to follow their passion, assuring them that it will lead them to self-discovery. She said she discovered her passion in fashion and has since changed her narrative to the point that she is not a liability to her husband, she works from home, at her own pace and she is now and international consultant and an appointed American Fashion delegate.