Jonathan Tasks Nigerian Graduates On Entrepreneurship

President Goodluck Jonathan has challenged Nigerian graduates to imbibe the culture of entrepreneurial skills and self-reliance as the panacea to the rising unemployment problem in the country.

He gave the challenge at the 9thconvocation ceremony of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra on Saturday.

Represented by Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai, the Minister of Education, the President advised the nation’s graduates to shift their focus from being job-seekers to job-creators.

“It is in this spirit that the Federal Government has decided that entrepreneurial studies will soon become a degree course in our universities.

“The recently launched `You WIN’ programme of the federal government, which seeks to provide financial support to budding entrepreneurs, is an example of our readiness to support our youths to achieve their potentials,” he said.

Jonathan commended the university for the efforts being made in the acquisition of such required skills through the Chike Okoli Centre of Entrepreneurial Studies, located in the institution.

He expressed satisfaction with the university’s drive to partner with the private sector in the area of Information Communication Technology and entrepreneurial education.

“I urge other universities to emulate this institution in this regard,’’ Jonathan said.

The president also challenged the country’s universities to aspire to join the league of the world’s best 100 universities at the next count.

According to him, Nigeria can achieve the rating if the universities will diligently pursue academic excellence and eschew rancour.

“To achieve this, government will provide the enabling environment and the resources,’’ he said.

Jonathan called on the university’s authorities to seek new ways of generating revenue without necessarily placing a heavy burden on students and their parents.

“Government alone can not offer solutions to all the problems plaguing the sector,’’ he said.

The president also pointed out that “the Nigerian university should not be a den for cultism, gangsterism, rape and sexual predatory, examination malpractice, certificate forgery and other vices”.

“Staff, students and other miscreants who are caught indulging in criminal activities should be punished appropriately,” he said.

The high points of the ceremony were the award of Masters and Doctorate degrees to 1,111 students of the institution.

The university also conferred honorary doctorate degree of Public Administration on a former governor of Anambra, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife.

Mrs Stella Okoli, the Managing Director of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, was also honoured with a doctorate degree in Business Administration.