Pursue Entrepreneurship Rather Than White-Collar Jobs – Okowa Advise Youth

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said entrepreneurship is the key to unlocking the doors of prosperity and personal fulfillment, urging graduates of tertiary institutions in Nigeria to pursue entrepreneurship rather than rely solely on the pursuit of white-collar jobs.

Okowa of Delta state Speaking during the 2nd Combined Convocation of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi Uku, Okowa said the reality of today’s turbulent economy was that even the best graduates are likely to be without a job for relatively long periods of time after graduation; the solution to this problem lies in job creation through entrepreneurship.

He said though the society and education prepared people for white or blue-collar jobs, with the exploding population, digital economy and an opportunity society driven by change.

Okowa said: “This is why, as a government, we have made entrepreneurship training the pivot of our educational policy and job creation programs.

“In this new world characterized by dazzling speed and rapid change, graduates who excel are those whose best skill is thinking outside the box; be prepared to learn new things and acquire new skills.

“As I always say, graduation does not mean the end of learning; it just means you are now responsible for your own learning; so, invest time, energy and resources to acquire skills that will put you on the path of profitable entrepreneurship.

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“Avail yourself of the wealth of online education available free of charge; in an economy on a growth curve, opportunities abound for new ideas and businesses. “Pay attention to the needs of the society and find creative means to address those needs; money gravitates towards those who solve problems for others”.

While congratulating the graduands and management of the institution, the Governor recalled that “on assumption of office in 2015, I announced that I would only attend the convocation of any university or polytechnic if the certificates and transcripts of the graduates were ready for immediate collection.

“It gives me great pleasure that the certificates and transcripts of graduates from the 2013/2014 through to the 2018/2019 academic sessions are ready.for distribution after this ceremony.

Announcing a grant of N50 million for the development of entrepreneurship units of the institution, Okowa also announced the appointment of one of the graduands, Francis Osedume, as a Special Assistant to him, for the leadership role he played as one of the leaders of the students of the institution.

Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, Dr. Festus Okubor, who spoke earlier, thanked the governor for his administration’s support for the growth of education in the state.

Also, Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Stella Chiemeke, in her remarks, said that 9, 359 Ordinary National Diplomas and 11, 574 Higher National Diplomas were conferred on graduands. Chiemeke said 241 distinctions were recorded in the results, of which 96 were in OND and 145 in HND.

The polytechnic Rector, who had earlier given an update on developments of the institution, said the school has computerized its systems including student records and bursary processes to enable an efficient record-keeping mechanism.

She said the polytechnic has established a staff school and the building of a male and female hostel to address accommodation challenges in the institution.