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The House of Representatives has commenced moves to address the shortage of skilled manpower in the country, following the passage of the second reading of a bill for the establishment of Entrepreneur University in the Ibile, Ikorodu area of Lagos.
The bill sponsored by the members representing Ikorodu and Ajeromi/Ifelodun Federal Constituencies, Lagos State, Babajimi Benson, and Paul Kalejaiye was first read on the floor of the House on June 30, 2024, seeks to provide avenues for enhancing entrepreneurial education and harnessing the creative potentials of the youth population.
Addressing journalists a handful of journalists at the National Assembly Complex on Thursday, Benson noted that when established, the university will enhance the economy of the nation, tackle unemployment, and create job providers for Nigeria.
He said, “Nigeria, with its vast and youthful population, is endowed with immense potential for economic growth and development. However, to harness this potential, there is a need for specialized institutions that focus on equipping our young men and women with the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to become successful entrepreneurs.
“The Ibile Entrepreneur University aims to be such an institution, dedicated to fostering innovation, creativity, and business acumen among its students”.
He added that the primary objective of the institution is “to create an environment that nurtures and develops entrepreneurial talents in Nigeria, offering programmes designed to provide practical and theoretical knowledge in entrepreneurship and business management.
“It will also foster a culture of innovation and creativity, encourage research and development in entrepreneurial ventures, and support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises through incubation and mentorship programs.”
It will equip students with the necessary skills to start and sustain their businesses, thereby reducing unemployment and contributing to economic growth.”
On his part, Kalejaiye lamented the failure of conventional universities to address the manpower needs of 21st-century Nigeria, saying, “our conventional universities have turned out graduates some of who are not employable. Nobody will employ you today without knowing what you have upstairs. We have moved into an era of entrepreneurial development.
“We are in an era where nobody should leave the university and be looking for a white-collar job because they are no longer there. So, we need a specialised university like the Ibile Entrepreneurial University which will train students from their first year to their final year on entrepreneurial development.
“We are looking at a university that will address skill acquisition, address the issue of self-employment in terms of training in commerce, industry, and others and people will come out of the university and start from scratch to set up something and become employers of labour.
“By doing that, we would have solved some problems such as generating employment and making available services that were hitherto being provided by quacks. Today, we all depend on people who do trial and error even on our cars. But when we have specialised people who spent their four years in the university, developing and specialising in a particular field, they will become useful to society and themselves,” he said.
The House is now expected to hold a public hearing on the bill to generate input from stakeholders ahead of its return for the third and final reading on the floor of the House.
