Minister Emphasizes Entrepreneurship as Key to National Development

The Minister of Education, Dr. Moruf Alausa, has called on tertiary institutions to focus on producing graduates who are not just employable but also equipped to create jobs.

Speaking at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) during the inauguration of the N350 million Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneurship Centre, Alausa stressed that developing entrepreneurial skills among graduates is essential to reducing unemployment and driving national economic growth.

Represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, the minister said Nigeria’s large youth population remains underutilised due to the education system’s limited focus on practical entrepreneurship training.

He praised Okenla, a successful lawyer and member of OOU’s pioneer law class, for his generous donation, saying the new centre supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda particularly its focus on youth empowerment and economic diversification.

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.: