Dr Tony Elumelu, Chairman, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation has urged Nigerian students to embrace entrepreneurship skills to overcome the burden of unemployment.
Elumelu gave the advice while addressing a cross-section of students as the Guest Speaker at the National Dialogue Series organised by the Students’ Union of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto on Monday.
The lecture was in collaboration with the management of the institution.
Elumelu, a successful entrepreneur, expressed happiness at the opportunity to speak directly to the youths.
“This is a kind of initiative that brings today’s leaders and the people to whom the future truly belongs to, to interact and share perspectives.
“The Tony Elumelu Foundation is committed to empowering young African men and women as my contribution toward the development of our continent.
” This is borne out of deep-rooted belief that entrepreneurship is the single most critical ingredient for economic empowerment and job creation,” he said.
Elumelu commended the efforts of the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru and his management for instituting the national dialogue series.
He also lauded the efforts of an alumunus of the university, Dr Sabeh Shadi,for ensuring the success of the series.
The entrepreneur further urged the students to be proud of the university which he said had rich legacy, and an outstanding academic track record that distinguished it as one of Nigeria’s finest institutions.
The Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Muhammad Zangaria, note that the guest speaker had made great impact in ensuring that the African Continent join the league of the developed nations.
The Vice-Chancellor also lauded the UBA chairman for the intellectual nurturing of students of the institution.
He described Elumelu as,” an icon of great recognition in the continent and the world at large.”
The vice chancellor advocated the establishment of the Tony Elumelu Business School in the university, in partnership with Elumelu.
Zangaria said the proposed school would train budding entrepreneurs in the country and further tame poverty, unemployment and youth restiveness.
The Students Union President, Idris Maibasira, commended the university’s management for providing the conducive environment which made the conception of the event a reality.
He said,” The unparalleled philanthropic movement of Elumelu has taken myriad of Nigerians out of poverty and equipped scores with entrepreneurial skills.”
He enjoined the Sokoto State Government and Elumelu to help Nigerian students nip the inadequacies of accommodation in the bud through their corporate social responsibility activities. (NAN)