‘Nigeria Needs Entrepreneurs To Develop’

The Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Ibadan, Prof. Gbemisola Oke, last Thursday said Nigeria would only be developed through the efforts of entrepreneurs and innovators.

Oke said this at a press conference organised by the centre to herald its proposed five-week intensive training programme.

The programme was designed for prospective business owners to learn the rudiments of sustaining a business enterprise.

She said that the centre had concluded plans to put its theoretical business studies to use in developing entrepreneurs and innovators.

Oke said that it was time to get the research output of the centre’s scholars out of the university system.

“We cannot effect much change in the country if we do not use our scholastic research in developing a generation of entrepreneurs.

“We want our research to be translated into commercial value, we want our students to use the theories of business we teach in classes practically,’’ she said.

Oke said the university established the centre with the aim of reinforcing its edge in innovation and quality assurance

“ It should be noted that thriving economies of the world centre around supporting small scale enterprises.

“ But a lot of prospective business owners are not aware that money is not the problem in sustaining a venture.

“ The training aims to open their eyes to that fact, including the abundant sources of funding they may exploit,’’ she said.