The Nation Newspaper

Tag: foundations

  • Foundations of our drift into failure

    Sir: Politicians without appropriate knowledge of the people, who should seek technocrats out and give them leadership, hug positions of power to hive off as much resources as they can to cushion their futures in self-deceit that illicit gain brings. They are bound to experience the inexorability of natural law of sowing and reaping.

    Quality of education has dropped to an abysmal level, so inputs into leadership positions are ill-equipped to provide leadership. This has resulted in the narrowing of vision and mission of leaders who spend more time digging for gold than caring for the electorate and their volitions for betterment. More executive time is spent in public office addressing personal gains than is available for public service. Indolence arising from distractions on the corridors of power lead to failure in vision resulting in remedial action to mounting socio-economic problems instead of proactive and studied policies that lead to sustainable growth.

    Vices are glamourized by worship of people who have climbed the social ladder with criminal assault at resources meant for private and public good for vain goals. Our youth are endangered by symbols of well-being in material possessions and go with passion after such symbols as cars and homes and other flamboyant indices of comfort. They burn themselves out well before their maturation into effective life.

    The educated and elderly elite with some moral foundation have been scared out of relevance by an aggressive and immoral horde amorally inclined to relevance without disciplined evolution to show for their desires and ends.

    Productivity has been replaced by unhealthy consumption of products of other nations without discrimination in favour of what is produced at home as trigger for sustainable growth and real development.

    The psyche of our youth has been warped into preoccupation with immediate gains rather than knowledge of how to give service for gain. The crime wave is exacerbated by desire for short-term desire for high social status.Religious institutions are attracted by desire for personal wealth and have consequently lost moral high ground for psychic and moral change to glaring drift to decadence. For them luxury is a sign of acceptability to God.

    People in the news are for the most part swindlers, rapists of the commonwealth and loveless charlatans with no meaningful occupation to qualify them for the assets they brandish with gusto.

    Such people melt into urban centres far from their home bases to avoid discovery by their contemporaries. They come home periodically with police escort to splash their ill-gotten wealth on their hungry cousins, in relevance hunting sprees.

    Majority of young folks are swept away by these charlatans into banditry for flaunting wealth with cars and after magnificent houses that lack form and function creditable to their owners.

    Those who have spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear, let them see and hear! Perilous times lie ahead. Only a few who recognise the objects of Creation will lighten themselves here now for homeward journey.

     

    • M A C Odu, <profmarkodu@yahoo.co.uk>

  • Foundations partner to promote leadership skills among youths

    A United States of America-based organisation, The Made Man Foundation, in partnership with Prince Harrison Ehimiyen Foundation (PHEF), has concluded plans to create mentorship and leadership training platforms to build  socially responsible males in Nigeria.The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the  foundation, Dr. Ky Dele, made this known at a forum organised for development experts and local based organisations held recently at the George Hotel, Lagos.

    Dele said that The Made Man Foundation advocates for community development through transformation and accountable male leaders in community service engagement for the betterment of man, woman and child.

    She noted that the foundation addresses challenges that affect men who have many roles including father, son, husband, and mentor, which in turn has the breadth and depth to affect every member of the society with societal challenges  including educational crisis, absentee fathers, poverty, value of woman and negative imagery of male leaders.

    “We will feature leaders invested in being involved and evolved to address issues that impact societal stability and empower men to actualise optimisation in the home, family, professional and personal development for community advancement of all, to include men, woman and youth respectively.

    “We will not be dealing directly with the boys but we will be working with youth service providers; we will provide them with tools and support system to help local based organisations enhance their development services to the boys”, she said.

    Dele added that we will also form a locally based host leadership council to include the Woman influencer Network and Male Influencer Network to asst with programming, nominations and execution of its programmes.

    Executive Director  PHEF, Gabriel Benjamin expressed delight over the partnership and the support offered by The Made Man Foundation, for the purpose of creating a new generation of accountable, enterprise and responsible male in Nigeria.

    Benjamin said that “We are dedicated to facilitating innovations for the youth, underprivileged and vulnerable through its various innovative social services, skills acquisition & empowerment programme, leadership trainings and advocacy campaign

    He noted that the Made Man Foundation in partnership with PHEF will be sponsoring selected youths on a fellowship in the US and the purpose is to strengthen and develop the Fellows’ leadership potential, sharpening and expanding their leadership skills, and to promote cross-national findings, create networks and innovations with practical leadership applications”.

    Benjamin said that whilst all our programmes are evidence based, youth driven and sustainable results oriented, PHEF is also poised to fostering public dialogue among youths that will bring about social changes in the area of youth development.

    “There will be many ups and downs but through it all, PHEF will remain strong as a pioneer NGO handling the nation’s most priced asset and pressing challenges amidst the full glare of all and sundry. It is a task that must be accomplished. The possibility is bright. The partnership is brilliant. The potential is boundless”, he said.

  • Foundations of national productivity

    It is a new year and it is not too early to fix our national gaze on the push for increased productivity in the national economy. This is the impetus for this piece today.

    National productivity is a prerequisite for national advancement. Worker productivity is the sine qua non of national productivity. Good education, fair compensation, and workplace equity and fairness are indispensable conditions for worker productivity. Therefore, good education, fair compensation, and workplace equity and fairness are prerequisites for national advancement.

    The validity and soundness of the foregoing syllogism is not in doubt. However, our commitment to good education, fair compensation for workers, and our practice of equity and fairness in the workplace could pose a serious challenge. Worker productivity in the private and public sectors of a nation’s economy determine how far the nation can go on the ladder of development. We see this demonstrated in not just the highly advanced economies of the West, but also in those of some of the economies that we started out with as independent nations. Some of them, especially the highly motivated East Asian tigers, have long surpassed us by baring their fangs of productivity. How did they do it? And why do we still lag?

    We know that highly productive workers make highly developed economies. But while productive work is part of our human potential, concrete barriers exist in the realization of this potential. Note that I used “potential” and not “essence”. While it is arguable that we would not be humans without being essentially productive, the essentialism implied here is also troubling. Are flesh and blood humans who despise work and leave work-free lives sub-human? They may be morally irresponsible but there are many human beings who, despite working hard, are also morally irresponsible in other ways.

    What barriers exist in the realization of our potential for hard work? There are at least three: poor education, unfair compensation, and workplace inequity and unfairness.

    We were doing well with the education sector during the first republic. That was the time we were focused on competing vigorously with our peers across the globe. Recently, I revisited a pamphlet that I had checked out on my study shelve in the Library of Congress. It was the report of the commission set up by the Western Regional Government in 1962 to review the regional educational policy.

    The report commended the regional government for earmarking 40% of its revenue for education. That was two-fifth of the regional budget going to education! And we wonder why the region had such a huge success in educating her residents in those days. Even with the crisis in Action group and the emergency rule and stuff, up till January 1966, the region was still ahead in education. The University of Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) was established during this period and with its high-quality products, and those of other higher institutions, national productivity was enhanced.

    The foundation for that achievement was laid very early in the intellectual armory of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the architect and builder of the modern West. His firm belief was that “the success of (human beings), in any sphere whatsoever in which he (or she) operates, depends wholly on the degree of his health, his intellectual comprehension, and his spiritual depth—because the coefficient of his efficiency in all undertakings generally, and of his productivity in any economic venture in particular, is education in every sense of the word.”

    Then the military struck 53 years ago this month and everything education was pushed to the back burner of national stove. They jettisoned the federal structure for a unitary system of governance. The federal government budgetary allocation to education between 1966 was 4.23%. In 1970, it dropped to 0.69% and it stayed at less than 1% until 1973. For the 13 years of first military rule, the average federal budgetary allocation to education was 3.66. The four years of the 2nd republic from 1979 to 1983 did not see much improvement, with federal allocation averaging 5.9%. Ironically, the Abacha dictatorship years averaged 10.88% while the return to civil rule in 1999 saw another drop with the Obasanjo years averaging 7.7% budget allocation. The UNESCO recommendation is between 15% and 20%. Currently, our budget allocation to education is 7.04 per cent. Ghana’s is 14 %.

    What does the foregoing data regurgitating exercise suggest about our priorities? Surely, other sectors are also important in the scheme of a whole economy. But education is the master driver in the matter of economic growth. A highly educated citizenry will have the skills the economy needs to fire all its engines of growth. Unfortunately, with abysmal funding, educational institutions from elementary to university levels lack the wherewithal to produce the best. So, we end up with materials that industries are not able to use for lack of the skills that they need.

    Secondly, a highly educated citizenry is also necessary to fight the ills of society that we are rightly obsessed about. Can anyone imagine soundly educated men and women getting involved in thuggery and vandalism as we witness daily in our urban enclaves? Can fully engaged citizens carry sticks and guns to campaign rallies and make themselves available for exploitation by politicians and get killed in the process?

    The elders teach that the proverbial eepa only kills itself while thinking that the dog is its victim. If the fortunate among us think that they can escape the coming catastrophe of frustrated expectation, they must think again. ASUU and other unions in the education sector are only helping us to avert the implosion ahead. It is a relief that the government is reluctantly paying attention.

    Along with education, in our road trip to increased productivity and economic growth, is fair compensation for hard work. Fair wage for work done is a rallying cry of workers the world over. Whether in the public or private sector, when we shortchange workers for the sake of more profit for capital, we deceive ourselves if we think that it will not negatively impact productivity. Where there is self-worth, there is bound to be resentment with a suspicion of cheating. Resentment may lead to cutting corners in a variety of ways, including fraud.

    The Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) has fought a just battle on behalf of workers for an increase in minimum wage. Though it has couched its rationale in terms of the welfare of workers, which is right, it is also true that there is an economic justification for the increase in view of the potential increase in productivity that a happy workforce can generate. It is heartwarming that the federal government has risen to the occasion with the president’s promise to send a bill to the National Assembly.

    Finally, productivity also requires workplace equity and fairness. Where wage discrimination is rampant, there’s going to be a negative impact on worker productivity. Again, human beings with a modicum of self-respect normally want equal treatment with peers. When they perceive an absence of fairness in the workplace, it affects their attitude to work, which in turn impacts productivity.

    Fortunately, our institutions of public service—civil service, universities, teaching service, hospitals, etc.— unlike some comparable systems even in developed countries, operate a hiring system that is open and formal. Public sector workers are recruited into a hierarchical system that bases compensation on established rules which recognize gradations of pay scale. Depending on your qualification, you know where you belong, whatever your gender, ethnicity, or religious background. And you can expect promotion on regular basis if you perform.

    Where this regularity is disturbed for whatever reason that has nothing to do with performance, and a worker suffers persecution or discrimination, deliberate or unintentional, there is bound to be resentment and productivity suffers. Again, because human nature is precariously inclined to occasional regress to the dark side, even with an inherently just system of wage and promotion, this cannot be ruled out. And it behooves those charged with the sacred responsibility of human resource management to be above board. That is, if they care for workers’ welfare, an important prerequisite for workers’ productivity.

  • Foundations join forces against mental health challenges

    The Nous Foundation Nigeria and Sparkle Foundation have collaborated to enhance mental health awareness in Nigeria.

    They held a two-day workshop in Lagos on November 2 and 3 to discourage stigmatisation of and discrimination against persons facing mental health challenges.

    The workshop, themed “Breaking the barriers of mental health in a changing world”, featured an awareness walk from Jibowu Bus Stop to Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and a seminar.

    The Convener, The Nous Organisation, Lade Olugbemi, said there was an urgent need to talk about mental health due to the increasing cases of mental issues including suicide and drug abuse.

    Olugbemi explained that the organisation was passionate about creating awareness and was willing to collaborate with professionals in mental health.

    She said: “We cannot stop talking about mental health, because it is a condition that can affect anybody. It is important that professionals in the field collaborate with organisations to educate people and this should be sustained.

    “Also, the government needs to put in place enabling environment for people to thrive and achieve their potentials in life.”

    Olugbemi urged stakeholders to come to the aid of the youth population, who, she suggested, were increasingly at risk of mental issues.

    “A lot of our young people are going through pressures and these pressures are so immense we can’t allow them to go through life alone,” she added.

    Mrs Olasimbo Ojuroye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sparkle explained that she collaborated with Nous Foundation because she believes that mental health is a conversation that should also be taking place at the grassroots level.

    “No one should be left out,” Ojuroye added.

    Speakers at the event included Dr. Oluwaniyi, who represented the acting Medical Director of Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba; a psychiatrist with over a decade’s experience in the public and private sector in mental health practice and hospital management, Dr. Otefe Edebi,; Dr.  Oyekanmi, a renowned Adolescent Mental Health Psychiatrist Consultant and a Disability Specialist, Mrs. Grace Alexander.

    They lamented the growing trends of suicide, depression, as well as a lack of proper education on mental health amongst the demographic of young people.

    Participants at the events included members of World Health Committee, staff of both Local Government Councils in Yaba and others within Lagos, teachers, students, community leaders, among others.

  • Akanbi laid foundations for anti-graft war, says Buhari

    •Eighth day prayer held for late ICPC chairman

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has hailed the late pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Justice Mustapha Akanbi, for laying the foundations of Nigeria’s anti-graft institutional framework.

    Buhari spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the eighth day prayer for the late jurist.

    The President, who was represented by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the event.

    He said: “So, many years after completion of his tenure of office, he remained a strong and persuasive moral voice in articulation and implementation of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agenda.

    “The legacy Justice Akanbi has left behind for Nigeria in general and for the legal profession in particular is one that will continue to inspire us all for years to come. It is indeed by appreciating those attributes that we are consoled at his departure at this time, at the blessed age of 85 years.

    “Throughout his impressive career on the Bench, which culminated in his ultimate elevation to the position of the President of the Court of Appeal, he displayed an uncommon sense of integrity, diligence and capacity for team work.”

    The President, who said the country would forever be grateful to the late Justice Akanbi for his positive contributions, added that he would be remembered in noble terms and that Nigeria would continue to be inspired by his ideals and values.

    “He played his part fully as a responsible family man, a strong voice for religious values, a crusader for humanitarian causes and a pillar of support to his immediate and extended communities.

    “It is particularly gratifying to note that these personal values and norms as well as his commitment to high human ideals will continue to be promoted by the various foundations, which he either founded or was affiliated to, like the Mustapha Akanbi Foundation, Maasalam Islamic Foundation and the Mustapha Akanbi Library and Resource Centre, among others.

    In his sermon at the occasion, Grand Mukadam of Ilorin Sheikh Sulaiman Dan Borno enjoined all to emulate attributes of the late Justice Akanbi, saying that his abhorrence of hypocrisy made him to be feared by many people.

    The cleric, who described his death as fall of one of the pillars of the Ilorin Eemirate, said the late judicial icon was not in habit of concealing truth.

    Dignitaries at the prayer include Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Senator Mohammed Sha’aba Lafiagi, former National Planning Minister Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, Dr. Wale Babalakin and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Registrar Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.

    Others are former Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Modibbo Alfa Belgore (retd), former Appeal Court President Justice Issa Ayo Salami, former United Nations Undersecretary Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, labour leader Issa Aremu, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who was represented by Saka Isau (SAN), Executive Chairman, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) Dr. Muritala Awodun, Secretary to the Kwara State Government Isiaka Gold, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN), Adebayo Adelodun (SAN) and Chief Executive Officer of Lubcon Oil Alhaji Jani Ibrahim.

    The Emir of Ilorin Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari led traditional rulers that the prayer. Other personalities at the event include Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Prof. Sulyman Abdulkarim, his predecessor Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, Chief Imam of Ilorin Alhaji Mohammed Bashir.

    Malami, who also visited Ahmed in Ilorin, said the Federal Government was saddened and touched by the demised of the anti-corruption czar.

    The Attorney General noted the antecedents of the deceased as the President of the Nigeria Court of Appeal and maintained that he left indelible marks in the legal profession that was worthy of emulation.

    According to the Attorney General, it was in appreciation and recognition of the deceased’s contributions to the national growth that the President raised a high powered delegation to commiserate with the state government, the good people of the state and his immediate family as well as attend the prayer.

     

  • Laying the foundations for future economy

    SIR: If any past government of Nigeria, at the least in the past 20 years have started the structural shift of the country’s strategic economic fundamentals as the Buhari-led government have started recently, Nigeria would have currently been taken its pride of place among the emerging and middle income economies in the MINT (Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria And Turkey) for which she was earlier and optimistically grouped. The avoidable spread of poverty and misery that is ravaging the country currently, would not have found Nigerians hapless victims they are today, to needless destitution.

    The making of contemporary emerging economies rest on three strategic pillars: Agricultural modernization, infrastructure, especially transportation (road, rail, air and power) and industrialization.

    These three strategic pillars of modern economy did not receive any appreciable and consistent attention in the past 29 years account for the massive structural disconnect that has hampered any meaningful and sustainable economic progress.

    Some major and key milestones include the recent finalization of the contract to build the Mambilla power plant, which would add about 4,000 megawatts to the current epileptic national grid. The consequence of the project when completed would be a strategic game-changer to Nigeria’s economic fortunes. Artisans, middle scale industrialists, business start-ups, of whom about 30% of their capital go into sourcing their own power, would be considerably relieved as they become more competitive, with obvious reduction in their cost of production.

    The transport arteries, especially the inauguration of railway lines that the President Buhari has embarked currently would trigger connectivity that is at the heart of contemporary emerging economies whose effect would be to create an integrated domestic market, enhancing supply and demand chains with powerful incentives for handsome rewards for productive activities. Already, the Abuja-Kaduna railway line launched and put to use, since July 2016 is making modest economic impacts along its routes. Young men and women who could have been susceptible to anti social vices of crimes and prostitution and even terrorism are engaged in informal modest economic activities in the more than 10 stations along the railway routes. New communities along the rail transport corridors will emerge, thereby lifting the pressure on the existing human settlements.

    In giving the nod to the flag-off of the construction of Lagos-Ibadan-Kano railway line, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri, President Buhari has demonstrated a profound grasp and insight of key element that would build inclusive and sustainable economy of the future. Road and air transport network should also receive such commendable commitment and the implication of a modern transport infrastructure to unleash the momentum of the economic development cannot be overemphasized but would be clearly self-evident very soon.

    Of course, the factory floors will have little to process and even the transport networks would be marginally useful if agriculture is not modernized and significantly improved. The agricultural sector is the chief support infrastructure to industrialization. President Buhari has demonstrated an uncommon resolve to revive and modernize the agricultural sector and the results so far, are too glaring for anyone to see. He hit the nail at the point at the recent commissioning of a multi-billion naira of the Singaporean invested agro-industrial conglomerate, Olam integrated poultry and feeds mill in Kaduna State. President restated his administration’s “belief that agriculture offers the most viable and all-encompassing option in an attempt to diversify our national economy and it is in this direction that we must feed ourselves from what we grow and grow what we eat before we can comfortably turn our attention to many key problems of our daily lives”.

    Should President Buhari and his team stay focused on these key priority areas of rebuilding the economy through agricultural modernization, industrialization and infrastructure construction, Nigeria in the next few years would have established the enabling framework for continuous growth, as its peers in the MINT, following in the footsteps of their BRICS-(Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) counterparts.

    Once Nigeria is transformed to an opportunity and not liability to every Nigerian, the most toxic pressures on the national unity and stability of the country consisting of separatist agitations, religious fanaticism, horrific crimes like kidnappings and ritual killings would be considerably ameliorated. For this to happen, President Buhari must stay focused and even engage more robustly on the current economic trajectory.

     

    • Charles Onunaiju,

    Utako, Abuja

  • Builders on the importance of foundations

    The importance of foundation laying in a building was the focus of discussion at a stakeholders’ forum organised for foundation laying experts and other artisans involved in building by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Kosofe Cell.

    According to the Coordinator, BCPG, Kosofe Cell, Mrs. Jane Ogbu, the forum was imperative given the need to enlighten the public on the importance of a good foundation to the longevity of a building, especially as collapses had become big threat to the construction industry.

    Experts in the profession as well as other stakeholders agreed that the quality of a building’s foundation was one of the major causes of building collapse.

    President, Nigeria Institution of Structural Engineers, Mr. Oreoluwa Fadayomi, noted that the majority of the people were in the dark as to the availability of foundation laying specialists.

    He, therefore, counselled prospective property owners to cultivate the culture of employing experts to handle their construction, especially the foundation because not all builders were specialists in foundation construction.

    “There’s a need for public education when it comes to foundation; people need to know that there are experts who are skilled in knowing the types of soil and the kind of foundation that should be used when building on different types of soil to avoid structural failure,” Fadayomi said.

    He further explained that the first step to take when building was to investigate the soil, irrespective of the project size. This is because no two soils are the same. Besides, he revealed that a site can have different soil even on the same plot of land; hence, every soil must be investigated and this can only be done by the appropriate expert. The cost of soil test is estimated to cost about one per cent of the total cost of construction.

    Participants noted that implementation of policies and laws remained a major challenge in the construction sector.

    A Senior Research Officer with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NCRRI), Mr. Edom Atomem, said the institute has conducted research and written several reports on how to reduce structural failures, but that nothing had been done.

    Similarly, the National President, BCPG, Mr. Kunle Awobodu, confirmed that failed foundation is a common feature in building collapse.

    “Building collapse has become a menace in Nigeria, especially in Lagos, which has the highest incidents in the world. This should be an embarrassment to those who construct foundations such as geo-technicians,” he said.

    Awobodu blames the dearth of drilling artisans on the improperly organised trade, adding that it has made quacks to have a field day.

    An Assistant Director with the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr. Gbolahan Oki, said there was the need for professionals to work together and transfer their knowledge to the younger generation to arrest the ugly situation of failed structures.

  • Foundation’s scholarship for 59 students

    Foundation’s scholarship for 59 students

    Former Pro-chancellor of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Chief Bisi Ogunjobi, has given scholarship to secondary school and higher institution students through his Foundation. SEYI OLUWALADE reports.

    Then a funded 24 years ago, the  Bisi Ogunjobi Foundation’s (BOF’s) objectives was to improve people’s lot. It has been living up to billings. In a career roundtable held last week at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, 59 students were given scholarship by Chief Bisi Ogunjobi, the Foundation’s initiator.

    The event, held at the Multipurpose Hall of the university, was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Igbekele Ajibefun.

    The beneficiaries are students of Ondo State origin from tertiary institutions across the nation. Fifty-four are higher institution students; the others are pupils of Community Secondary School in Iboropa, Ondo State.

    The theme of the career roundtable was: Enhancing entrepreneurial schemes for sustainable development.

    Chief Ogunjobi, a former Pro-chancellor and chairman of the AAUA Governing Council, thanked God for giving him the opportunity to give back to the society that made him.

    He said the Foundation is waxing stronger, adding that it remains tenacious to its ideals. “We are expanding gradually into new areas. I appreciate God for giving me the opportunity to do what I have planned to do,” he said.

    The BOF founder, who is  Pro-chancellor of Samuel Adegboyega University in Ogwa, Edo State, said: “Our aspiration is to help people be better than what they are, particularly to assist the young people acquire knowledge and education. It gives me joy to see the youth prosper. It will be interesting for people to know that over 700 students had benefitted from the programme and we hope to do more by the grace of God.”

    Chief Ogunjobi, who is also the chairman of Board of Directors of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, advised the beneficiaries to place values on developing their entrepreneurial skills to impact on the society productively and to be self-reliant after their graduation.

    He added: “You should know that generosity is not a mark of wealth but a manifestation of inner compassion for others. It is not when you are wealthy that they can help others.”

    Earlier, Prof Ajibefun hailed the Foundation for setting a good legacy and its selfless activities to improve the lots of mankind, describing the founder as an exemplary Nigerian whose philanthropic gesture has given hopes to many youths.

    The VC said the university would continue to partner with public-spirited organisations such as BOF for capacity building and development.

    He described the theme of the career roundtable as apt, saying: “Entrepreneurship, which is another name for job, wealth creation and self-reliance, has undoubtedly become the best way to rescue the world from poverty. It is a step toward rescuing the world from the grip of poverty of ideas and comfort zone that came with white collar jobs.”

    Prof Ajibefun said entrepreneurship was a product of the failings of the old and conventional educational system, which he said, placed emphasis on schooling and white collar jobs and had no regards for skill acquisition and wealth creation. He said the rush for white-collar job led to the crisis of unemployment, misery and poverty ravaging the world.

    He urged governments, institutions, corporate organisations and affluent individuals to focus more on the core ingredients of entrepreneurship, which he listed to include logistics, research, training and re-training and curriculum development. These, he said, would help the youth to achieve their desired objectives.

    Chairman of BOF Board of Trustees, Prof Gabriel Alegbeleye, said over 1,000 applications were received in the exercise but said the Foundation ensured proper screening of the applicants without interference from the founder.

    The beneficiaries in tertiary institutions were awarded scholarship between N50,000 and N70,000 each, while the pupils got N25,000 each. Fourteen of the beneficiaries are students of AAUA, while the rest were selected from other schools.