The Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Alausa, on Wednesday, urged tertiary institutions across the country to commit to producing graduates who are not only employable but are also job creators.
He emphasised that graduates with entrepreneurial skills are critical to achieving national prosperity.
Alausa stated that although Nigeria, with a population of about 200 million, is blessed with many talented young men and women, the nation continues to battle high unemployment.
He noted that the country’s education system must prioritise entrepreneurship training to create jobs and boost economic growth.
The minister, represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, made this call on Wednesday while speaking as Chairman at the inauguration of the N350 million Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneurship Centre and the maiden edition of the Colloquium at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye.
A lawyer, businessman, and one of the pioneering law graduates of OOU (Class of 1987), Okenla donated the facility to his alma mater to foster entrepreneurial skills development among students.
Commending Okenla for his generosity, Alausa said the donation of the multimillion-naira entrepreneurship centre aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises youth empowerment, economic diversification, and inclusive governance.
The minister said, “Today’s event is not just about the opening of a facility; it is about the opening of minds — a gateway to new thinking, new ventures, and new opportunities. “The generosity and foresight of the Olufemi Okenla Foundation (O.O.F.) in establishing this centre exemplifies the type of partnership we must continue to nurture — where private commitment meets public aspiration for the greater good.
“The theme of this colloquium, ‘The Role of Tertiary Institutions in Promoting Entrepreneurship in Nigeria,’ touches on a defining challenge of our time. In a nation blessed with talents 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.
“Entrepreneurship is the bridge between knowledge and national prosperity. Our tertiary institutions must become incubators of creativity, industry, and sustainable enterprise.:
Alausa called for a renewed commitment to equipping youths not just with academic knowledge but also with practical tools to transform that knowledge into value that can drive national prosperity.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of OOU, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, praised Okenla for collaborating with the university to strengthen its mission of producing not just employable graduates, but job creators.
He also urged other alumni and stakeholders to emulate Okenla and support the development of the institution.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ashiru, also commended Okenla for his generosity, describing the donation of the multimillion-naira centre as a major boost to the university’s drive to produce globally competitive, entrepreneurial-minded graduates.
In his own remarks, Okenla said he had always dreamt of giving back to the university since his undergraduate days 38 years ago.
He revealed that although he studied Law, he had been entrepreneurial from his student days, engaging in ventures such as selling bread on campus.
He described entrepreneurship as a key driver of national development, adding that having a degree — even a Ph.D. — should not be an excuse to ignore the vast opportunities that entrepreneurship presents.
Okenla explained that the foundation of the N350 million entrepreneurship centre was laid on April 6, 2023, to mark his 59th birthday, with a promise to commission it this year on his 60th birthday.
He further announced that he had earmarked an additional N50 million for furnishing the centre with necessary equipment, as well as another N100 million for its operations until it becomes self-sustaining.
To further encourage young entrepreneurs, Okenla also pledged N20 million in seed funding for the first four businesses that emerge from the centre.
Additionally, he offered to sponsor 20 students for capacity-building training at the facility.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Olusegun Sogbesan, Director General of Onitsha Business School, challenged Nigerians, regardless of their educational qualifications—to embrace entrepreneurship as a path to financial independence and national development.
Sogbesan stressed that entrepreneurial education must become compulsory in all tertiary institutions to shift the current narrative of producing graduates solely focused on finding non-existent jobs, instead of becoming job creators themselves.
The well-attended event culminated in the official commissioning of the centre by the Senior Pastor of KICC, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo, joined by other dignitaries, including Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun Sanni (Lagos), Senator Lekan Mustapha (former Ogun East Senator), Otunba Bimbo Ashiru (Chairman of Odu’a Group), and others.
