The quality of a teacher’s outcome depends on a combination of personality, skills, interests, training, research, and networks. As an entrepreneurship education lecturer at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, I bear this in mind when preparing and engaging with students. This article highlights the outcomes of my training, interests, and ongoing professional and personal development in themes related to entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and policy.

My training involved in-depth, practical explorations of how policy, systems, and innovation shape our collective future. As an educator and researcher in entrepreneurship, I lean on experiences from strategy clinics and the insights of my professional cohort network. I apply these lessons not only in my personal life but also in the classroom, during youth mentoring, and at entrepreneurship events.

For instance, I began segregating kitchen waste at home, which inspired my initiative of growing vegetables using organic waste that had liquefied over six months. Additionally, I advocated for the separation of organic waste by LAWMA trucks to ensure it is handled differently from general household trash. On a broader scale, LAWMA could develop a brand of liquid manure targeted at indoor plants and urban agriculture. This initiative could create products and jobs, while generating a vibrant market through the waste management value chain.

Global Systems and Local Youth Realities

Systems thinking helps us understand the interconnected nature of challenges and their long-term consequences. Training young entrepreneurs with these capabilities is our task. At YABATECH, we teach business with a focus on sustainability, policy, and social impact. Today’s innovators must design ventures that are not only profitable but also resilient and regenerative.

This requires rethinking how we teach venture creation. Instead of merely pitching for profit, students are encouraged to ask: *What systems am I disrupting or supporting? What ripple effects will my business create across society and the environment?* Group collaboration is key, and our curriculum is increasingly student-centred and flexible to accommodate this approach.

From Conference Rooms to Classrooms

Sustainability issues—climate change, resource use, infrastructure—are global. My training emphasised the importance of a multi-stakeholder ecosystem as a tool for understanding and addressing complex challenges. In Nigeria, with its over 250 ethnic groups, this complexity is heightened. Successful projects often require collaboration among government, NGOs, academia, and the private sector.

Examples include the Lekki-Epe Expressway developed through a concession model, and the early work of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which aimed to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria. Such collaborations enable innovation to be funded, scaled, and sustained.

In the classroom, I embed this through collaboration exercises and role plays, where students simulate public-private partnerships or nonprofit engagements. They learn that innovation is about aligning values, navigating policy, and understanding multiple stakeholder perspectives—not just deploying high-tech solutions or chasing capital.

Another key insight is the importance of policy literacy. Entrepreneurs often overlook policy until it becomes a hurdle. But sustainability training shows how policy can be a design tool. In class, we examine how to interpret government programmes, align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and link ventures to national development priorities. This enables students to discover funding and mentorship opportunities and gives them the confidence to pitch ideas to local investors and public institutions.

Why This Matters in 2017

Nigerian youth today face enormous challenges: unemployment, insecurity, climate threats, infrastructure gaps, and the shifting landscape of digital disruption. But within these challenges lie enormous opportunities.

Traditional entrepreneurship education—focused on profits and products—feels outdated. What we need is an education that cultivates resilience, systems thinking, and ethical foresight. Many young people pursue certification or quick financial returns over transformation and impact. But true entrepreneurship requires patience, values, and vision.

My continuing professional development programmes emphasised sustainability over short-term gain. That’s a mindset we must urgently pass on. Entrepreneurs must aim to solve real problems and position Nigeria for global relevance—not merely chase unicorns, but build “camels”: ventures that can survive tough times, adapt to change, and grow sustainably.

In Conclusion

A teacher can uniquely blend holistic experiences into youth-centred pedagogy. My engagements across Africa and Europe have fostered values like compassion, choice, courage, curiosity, clarity, and policy awareness—all essential for effective entrepreneurship education.

My interests lie in education, environmental awareness, and innovation. I bring a global perspective to local challenges, drawing on experiences in policy circles, classrooms, and community initiatives.

Entrepreneurship education is not just about starting businesses—it’s about shaping character, cultivating awareness, and unlocking the entrepreneurial potential to solve problems through value creation.

Ayika is an entrepreneurship educator and policy analyst focused on youth development, innovation systems, and sustainable economic transformation