… Beneficiaries receive sewing machines, freezers, generators

… Students hail Tunji-Ojo for initiative

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC) Ondo Axis, has distributed business equipment to no fewer than 200 students across 10 tertiary institutions in Ondo State under its “Students to CEO” Entrepreneurship Summit.

The summit, themed “Unlocking Ondo State Students’ Potential for Economic Growth,” held at Deji Hall, Ojaja Park, Akure, Ondo State capital, marked the second edition of the program designed to transition students from academic pursuits to business ownership.

With the initiative sponsored by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the beneficiaries received industrial sewing machines, deep freezers, power generators, and other trade tools intended to help them establish sustainable enterprises.

NANS JCC Ondo Axis Chairman, Adekanye Adeboye, explained that the initiative was conceived to challenge the illusion among students that academic certificates alone guarantee success.

Adeboye noted that the symposium aimed to enlighten students about the importance of exploring their skills and talents beyond the classroom.

According to him, student leaders must inspire their peers to maximize societal opportunities and become better versions of themselves, rather than conforming to societal expectations.

Adekanye disclosed that while the organizers had initially proposed to reach 400 students, the current edition successfully empowered 200 participants, with 20 students drawn from each of the 10 participating institutions.

He emphasized that beneficiaries were selected based on their demonstrated skills in fashion design, tailoring, and technology and urged them to exhibit diligence, integrity, and proper management of the equipment received.

On his part, the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Babatunde Akinteye, described the program as part of advocacy for entrepreneurship among Nigerian students.

Akinteye noted that many past beneficiaries had testified to the transformative impact of the empowerment and had since become Chief Executive Officers in their respective lines of business.

Akinteye emphasized that the objective was to ensure that students do not wait until graduation before seeking white-collar jobs or chief executive officer positions in businesses while still in school.

He expressed the hope that some of the beneficiaries would multiply their equipment through profits from their ventures within the next year.

He further called on the government to prioritise student empowerment, citing statistics that 71 percent of Nigeria’s population comprises youth, with 40 to 45 percent being students. He argued that empowering students directly through entrepreneurship would have a more significant impact than waiting until after graduation.

Chairman of the Planning Committee, Lemprioritizele, warned that the equipment distributed was strictly not for sale, adding that a monitoring committee had been established to track compliance.

He expressed optimism about the future of the program, stating that he was confident the next edition would be more remarkable.