An educationist, Dr Tunji Olaopa, on Tuesday, tasked Nigerian Youths to invest in self-development in order to contribute to the nation’s economic growth.
Olaopa, Executive Vice-Chairman Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), made the call at the distinguished lecture series organised by the Business Administration Department of the Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.
The theme of his lecture is: “Harnessing Business Opportunities for National Development”.
According to him, there are many business opportunities in the country that youths are not exploring because they lacked the required skill.
He also attributed this to the youth’s mentality of claiming entitlement.
“Very small percentage of our youths are adventurous.
“Majority of them do not have a mind of their own because they are still waiting for their parents and the government to provide for them.
“Few youths, who have entrepreneurship spirit, embark on ventures without understanding what entrepreneurship really entails,’’ he said.
Olaopa, who was a former Federal Permanent Secretary, said many of the world’s renowned entrepreneurs were successful because they understood the logic of sowing, reaping, integrity and delayed gratification.
He noted that many business owners in Nigeria faced challenges that retard their businesses.
“These challenges include an unstable power supply, multiple taxations, insecurity, poor road network and transportation among others.
“The biggest challenge of doing business is access to funds and management of funds, but the best advice is to start small,” he said.
He advised youths to explore other areas such as talent management, real estate management, e-commerce, tourism and information communication technology (ICT).
According to him, these are areas that contribute largely to economic growth in the country.
He also advised youths to consider certain factors into consideration when choosing a career path in order to be successful.
“When choosing your career, you must have a vision and ask yourself where you want to be; what skills and competencies do you need and how to make yourself relevant.
“It is not enough to be passionate; you must be determined to develop yourself in areas that will enable you to become useful to the society,’’ he said.
Also contributing, Dr Akintunde Alagbe, Head of Department of Business Administration of the institution, said the role of education could not be over-emphasised in driving economic growth.
“Education is important in driving economic growth, which is why this lecture was organised.
“Institutions of higher learning must strive to ensure that graduates become self-developed in order to contribute to national development,’’ he said. (NAN)
