By Jude Michael
There is every indication that the worrying rate of graduate unemployment in the country will soon go down to a barest minimum.
The indication is coming when Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, embarked on a one-day exhibition of various innovatively made products, recently at the institution’s premises.
The event arena was adorned with the innovatively made products in fashion designing, cosmetology, leather works, among others, to the admiration of the guests and the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Charles Esimone, who described the exhibition as a mega event.
The Vice-Chancellor, who could not hide his joy as he inspected the products one after the other without minding his tight busy schedule, said, ‘Without being equivocal in any form or manner, this is a particular event if taken outside here to the state and the federal capitals, you will see a lot of participation from a lot of people.’
While briefing the press shortly after the inspection, the Vice-Chancellor commended the Director of the Centre, Prof Ada Sam Omenyi, and the students, saying the entrepreneurship exhibition was one with a lot of surprises.
‘What I saw is really a sign that the Director, Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, has learned my principle of sustainability and self-reliance.
‘That’s what entrepreneurship drives us into and makes us self-reliant and self-sustainable so that we don’t depend on the government or one individual or the other for our upkeep.
‘That’s why we’re training our youths today that the tomorrow for Nigeria and the world depends on what they showcase; how they can make do with nothing and come out with something that’s very substantive,’ Prof Esimone said.
‘I’ve seen some things they’re doing that actually need to be further magnified.
‘I want to say that they’ve done very well, and my heart is very glad,’ he stated.
He assured the student entrepreneurs of the institution’s financial support, saying there were great plans for that and that they just needed to see their ideas.
‘That’s why we try to organize some different kinds of training to see those who have ideas that are marketable and bankable also.
‘All we need is for them to come up with necessary proposals that will convince us that their ideas are marketable, then we will give support.
‘And beyond the university, we can leverage our relationship, our social capital with a lot of people who want to invest in the university.
‘I know people who have approached me personally about what they can support with, but they want to be sure that if they invest here, it will be something that can go beyond here.
‘And from what I have seen on ground here today, I can beat my chest to tell them to come; that we have something they can support,’ Esimone said.
He also extolled the staff of the centre, for giving the Director and the students the support to accomplish this feat.
In an interview with the press, the Director of the Centre, Prof Omenyi, said the essence of the exhibition was for the students and entrepreneurs in society to show what they could do with their hands.
The director disclosed that by next semester, the centre would invite highly experienced entrepreneurs to share experiences with the student entrepreneurs.
Prof Omenyi expressed the belief that this would help the students not only to move on to be self-reliant, but also to stand firm economically when they graduated.
She however highlighted lack of a vehicle for the centre’s event planning unit, inadequate building infrastructure, among others, as challenges facing the centre.
The Director therefore appealed to public spirited individuals to come to the help of the centre to enable it to perform optimally.
