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Tag: tackle

  • Dogara, Reps move to tackle pension monster

    Dogara, Reps move to tackle pension monster

    Senior citizens last week took their worsening situation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and left with smiles on their faces.

    Dogara did not offer them money, neither did he offer them a loan but he assured that the case will not only be tackled with the instrumentality of law but promised to take it personally to President Muhammadu Buhari, who he said has zero tolerance for workers’ suffering arising from unpaid dues.

    The visit was initiated by the Speaker with the adoption of a motion by the House on the urgent need to address the N285b owed pensioners in Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) as well as another N174b owed those on Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) arising from non-payment of 33 percent arrears.

    The House had resolved that Buhari should approve a bailout to offset the arrears or provide the required funds in the 2017 Budget. The Senate, on the prompting of the House, followed suit with the adoption of the same prayers. Determined to have a firsthand feel of what the senior citizens are going through, Dogara arranged for the meeting and got more than he bargained for.

    Afolayan, accompanied by over 30 senior citizens broke it down and Dogara resolved that the Buhari everybody knows could not have been aware of the sordid picture painted by Afolayan. The 78 year old Afolayan said: “Pensioners have become endangered species and prone to all kind of diseases which are age related and need money for treatment. This is a very important reason why government needs to ensure that pensioners are paid as at when due, especially considering the fact that these old people have used their youthful days to serve this country meritoriously. Now that it is the payback time, the country should not fail them.

    After listing the challenges confronting them, he said “it is in view of the above that I want to use this medium to appeal to the Hon. Speaker to use his God given position to plead with the Federal Government on behalf of the vulnerable Nigerian pensioners to provide sufficient funds in 2017 Budget Appropriation Bill to offset all the pension liabilities.

    “We share the feelings of the federal government as far as the ongoing economic recession is concerned, but as we have mentioned earlier, we have to reiterate that pension should be placed on FIRST LINE CHARGE so that pension payment will not go through the traditional rigorous budgetary allocation process. Our prayers are not many, what we are asking for is provision of sufficient funds in the 2017 Appropriation Bill towards offsetting the outstanding liabilities both under the DBS and CPS Mr. Speaker Sir, your name will be written in gold when the history of the Union is re-written, if this feet is achieved during your time; Needless to remind you that our members are dying daily in pain, penury, frustration and abject poverty without enjoying the fruits of their labour”.

    Moved, Dogara looked at the position of law on the issue with  emphasis that all pensions due to retired public service workers must be paid because it is a constitutionally provided right to be paid their pension. Citing section 173 (1 & 2) of the 1999 Constitution, he stressed that it is the responsibility of the federal government to ensure that pensions earned by the pensioners are paid as and when due, as failure to do this could be a breach of the laws of the country.

    He assured the delegation that the House will ensure that it “speaks and speak with a loud and clear voice” on the need to make this aspect a priority, while casting doubts that President Muhammadu Buhari is aware of the huge debts owed them. “The President is a pensioner himself; he is and I know that he has always been concerned about issues related to salaries and pensions. He has been so concerned that he has extended assistance to state governments to bail them out with funds to pay salaries and pensions at state levels and I believe having taken such steps, he won’t be so unconcerned about his own responsibility to pensioners of the Federal Republic. So, I believe there is a disconnect somewhere and that is what we have to connect now and to see that even if the last person in the state gets his salary and pension, if we don’t address our pensioners at the federal level, we have failed and that message will be delivered by God’s grace”.

  • New group emerges in Ekiti, set to tackle poverty

    A new group known as IBILE has been launched in Ekiti State, to promote the ideals and good works of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    Worried by massive poverty in the state, the group also aims to form economic groups and cooperatives in the 16 local government areas to access loans from governmental agencies and financial institutions.

    Speaking at its launch in Ikere Ekiti, Director General of the group, Wale Adeoye, explained that ”the movement was not a political group but to promote the core values of Ekiti people and assist the poorest of the poor.”

    Adeoye explained that IBILE drew inspirations from Awolowo, whom he described as the greatest Yoruba politician of all time and one of the greatest the world had ever seen.

    The journalist-turned activist said the movement was established to promote the welfare of people in the grassroots which the late sage worked for in his lifetime.

    Adeoye who disclosed that IBILE will soon be launched in all the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State added that membership of the movement is open to people who are 18 years and above.

    He said: “We have a rich environment with the rolling hills, the great valleys and the vast, snaky streams, the lush green vegetation, the spring water in various towns and villages. Despite our wonderful gifts of nature and circumstances, our people remain the poorest of the poor.

    “We were never a hungry people; it was from cocoa farms that the Yoruba nation built the first television station in sub-Sahara Africa, the first radio station, the Liberty Stadium, Ado Ekiti Textile Industry not to talk of the regime of free education across the entire Yoruba territories.

    “Ekiti people are known for dignity and uprightness. We once had a reputation to be honest, steadfast and hardworking. We had dignity, we command respect anywhere we go based on our heritage. Today. We must admit that there is a great threat to these values.

    A community leader, Chief Diran Adeojo, said IBILE concerned about the welfare of the average Ekiti person saying “the group stands for the restoration and redemption of Ekiti.”

  • ‘How to tackle deficiency in fish production’

    ‘How to tackle deficiency in fish production’

    An expert in aquaculture, Mrs. Mojisola Funmilayo Siyanbola, has urged the Federal Government to provide effective and efficient proactive security measures to tackle the deficiency in fish production and preservation.

    Mrs Siyanbola, a  senior lecturer, Department of Biology, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, while delivering the 11th Inaugural Lecture of the institution titled, “Nigeria’s fish supply deficit: Bridging the gap through sustainable aquaculture,” stressed the  need to transform aquaculture from subsistence to commercial level to address inadequate supply of fish in the country.

    She said: “From all indications, fish production in the country has been deficient for many years in meeting the projected domestic demand. This trend seems to be unrelenting due to the ever widening gap between demand and supply”.

    “The activities of the artisans and industrial fisheries have been the backbone of fish production in Nigeria, but over the years, their contributions have been unable to meet up with the annual demand.”The problem of insecurity which is a serious problem to our aquatic resources especially the marine resources should be tackled. There must be an effective and efficient proactive security measures to protect our aquatic resources.”

    While advocating for provision of soft loans and grants to young Nigerians to enable them embark on commercial fish production, Siyanbola urged the government to shift from its cosmetic and elitist policies and  go back to the drawing board to work out strategies to attract prospective young farmers to involve in fishing business. “The Federal Government should make it a policy for financial institution to provide soft loans and grants to young Nigerians to enable them embark on commercial fish production.

    “The Nigerian government approach to fish culture is at best cosmetic and elitist. The Federal Government must go to the drawing board to work out strategies to attract young Nigerians into the fish farming subsector as one pragmatic panacea to the disturbing menace of youth unemployment which constitutes grave threat to our national security which can be seen from the involvement of younger citizens in crimes of kidnapping for ransom payment, terrorism, pipelines vandalism and other organised crimes.”

    Mrs Siyanbola also recommends among others the need to checkmate piracy so as to make fish culture subsector beneficial to the national economy, regular capacity building and training/workshops for extension officers in aquaculture at both Federal, state and local levels, and introduction of aqua-entreprenureship as one of the vocations in entrepreneurship education curriculum.

  • How to tackle endometriosis, by experts

    How to tackle endometriosis, by experts

    Some medical experts have gathered in Lagos to discuss endometriosis, a disease rampant  among women. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA reports.

    Experts are against surgically removing endometriosis; where the endometrium grows outside the uterus, unless the symptoms do not respond to treatment. But the disease causes severe pains for premenopausal women.

    The experts spoke at an event organised by some specialists in reproductive health in Lagos. They urged reporters to help shed light on the disease which they described as “invisible”, but giving many women headache.

     

    The condition

    What is endometriosis? The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Medical Director, Nordica Fertility Centre, Dr Abayomi Ajayi, explained that in preparation for ovulation, the lining of the uterus, or endometrium, thickens. If fertilisation does not occur, the uterus sheds its lining through the vagina. This is known as menstruation. In endometriosis, the endometrium grows outside of the uterus. This leads to endometriosis.

    According to the led convener of the event,  Ajayi,  there is need to get a woman that complains of chronic pains examined because there is a link between endometriosis and ovarian cancer. He said ovarian cancer occurs at higher than expected rates in women with endometriosis, but the lifetime risk is low to begin with. “Nearly half of those affected have chronic pelvic pain, while in 70 percent pain occurs during menstruation. Some studies suggest that endometriosis increases the risk to developing ovarian cancer, but it’s still relatively low. Although rare, another type of cancer, endometriosis-associated adenocarcinoma, could develop later in life in women who have had endometriosis,” Ajayi said.

     

    Common symptoms

    A consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Dr Bayo Bamisebi said if one or her daughter or any female around is perpetually complaining of any of the following, it is time to check it out with the doctor because they are symptoms of endometriosis: “Painful or heavy periods; pains in the lower abdomen (tummy), pelvis or lower back; pains during and after sex; bleeding between periods or difficulty getting pregnant. Most women with endometriosis get pains in the area between their hips and the tops of their legs. Some women experience this pain all the time.

    “Other symptoms may include persistent exhaustion and tiredness, discomfort when going to the toilet, bleeding from your back passage or rectum) or blood in your poo, or coughing blood which occurs in rare cases when the endometriosis tissue is in the lung.”

    He said: “Another cause is during retrograde menstruation, whereby menstrual fluid flows backward into the fallopian tubes instead of leaving the body through the vagina. Because the fallopian tubes are open-ended, menstrual backflow can spill into the pelvic cavity. Backflow of menstrual fluid may promote the transfer of clumped endometrial cells to other tissues in the pelvis. Or menstrual fluid in the pelvic cavity could transform parts of those tissues into endometrial cells. In either process, clumps of endometrium may start to grow on the tissues lining the pelvic cavity, as well as on the fallopian tubes, ovaries and large intestine. This growth continues to act as it normally would during a menstrual cycle. It thickens, breaks down and bleeds each month.

    “Because there’s nowhere for the blood from this displaced tissue to exit your body, it becomes trapped. Trapped blood may lead to cysts, scar tissue and adhesions, abnormal tissue that binds organs together. Scarring from endometriosis can block your fallopian tubes. Blocked tubes may keep sperm cells from reaching and fertilising the egg, causing fertility problems.The menstrual fluid could alter some types of cells in the pelvic cavity to change their structure, or clumps of endometrial tissue contained in the menstrual fluid could stick to the tissues it lands on and start to grow. In either case, this may be a factor in causing endometriosis,” Bamisebi explained.

     

    Diagnosing endometriosis

    Ajayi said the first step to take is to diagnose the condition. He said the sufferer should see a general medical practitioner if one has symptoms of endometriosis so they could try to identify a cause. “They may refer you to a gynaecologist, or a specialist in problems affecting the female reproductive system. It can be difficult to diagnose endometriosis because the symptoms can vary considerably, and many other conditions can cause similar symptoms. Your gynaecologist will ask about your symptoms, periods and, possibly, sexual activity. They may also carry out an internal pelvic exam or recommend an ultrasound scan to look for cysts in your ovaries that may have been caused by endometriosis,” he added.

     

    Laparoscopy

    Ajayi said: “Endometriosis can only be confirmed with a surgical examination called a laparascopy. This is carried out under general anaesthetic  and you can usually go home the same day. The procedure involves a thin tube with a light on the end (laparoscope), which will be passed into your body through a small cut in your skin at your belly button. It has a tiny camera that transmits images to a video monitor so the specialist can see any endometriosis tissue.

    “During the procedure, a small sample of tissue (biopsy) can be taken for laboratory testing, or other surgical instruments can be inserted to treat the endometriosis. Depending on the severity of the endometriosis, treatment options may include: Hormonal therapies, such as birth control pills, which help control the hormones that cause a buildup of endometrial tissue – and birth control pills are associated with a decrease in ovarian cancer risk.

    “Conservative surgery to remove endometrial growths from pelvic organs without removing your reproductive organs, either with laparoscopic surgery, making only a few small incisions in your abdomen, or traditional abdominal surgery in more extensive cases.

    “Total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy which removes the uterus and cervix along with both ovaries and fallopian tubes, reserved for women at high risk of ovarian cancer, such as those who have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation.”

    ‘’If you’re worried about how endometriosis might affect your fertility, according to Ajayi that is a different matter.

    “Endometriosis does cause fertility problems for some women. Normal conception, pregnancy and delivery are possible after conservative endometriosis treatment. But if you’re having trouble conceiving, you may need to see a fertility specialist to explore your options for becoming pregnant,” he added.

  • Fafunwa Foundation to tackle unemployment, says ex-NUC boss Okebukola

    Fafunwa Foundation to tackle unemployment, says ex-NUC boss Okebukola

    Fafunwa Education Foundation (FEF) is determined to tackle unemployment and  eradicate crime and youth restiveness, the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola, has said.

    Okebukola, who spoke yesterday at the Faculty of Education auditorium, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, at a news conference to herald this year’s FEF’s conference tagged: ‘Tackling the problem of unemployment in Nigeria’, said the foundation would ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the conference.

    He said: “This year, the FEF, in addition to her annual lecture series and awards, is hosting a national conference on the theme: ‘Tackling the problem of unemployment in Nigeria’. Based on her conviction, Nigeria requires  practical and holistic approach with result-oriented approach among stakeholders to tackle unemployment.

    “The conference will serve as a platform for scholars, intellectuals and entrepreneurs from across the disciplines to share interdisciplinary knowledge and experience that will reflect not only the diverse manifestations and implications of unemployment in the country, but also give plausible, pragmatic and policy-impacting solutions.”

    Okebukola said the conference, the maiden edition, would hold every three years on issues to accelerate and fast-track the socio-economic and educational development of the country.

    He added that it would hold from September 20 to 23 at the Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, by 10a.m.

    Okebukola, the Award Committee Chairman, member of the FEF’s Board of Trustees and Pro-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, said the yearly post-doctoral award in education and best practice award in education would also take place during the event.

    The Chairman of the FEF’s Academic Committee, Prof. Kayode Alao, of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, said the foundation was interested in promoting academic excellence among universities.

    Dr. Pat Akumabor, the Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, urged students to be serious with their studies so that they would be employable or become entrepreneurs after their graduation.

    Mr. Thanni Fafunwa, one of the children of the late Prof. Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, said his father, an ex-Minister of Education and Youth Development, established the FEF, a non-government organisation, in January 1995 to provide fresh insight and practical ideas on improving education in the country.

  • ‘How to tackle power problems’

    The Federal Government has been urged to adopt a holistic approach in fixing power problems.

    Stakeholders, including Electricity Meters Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (EMMAN)Executive Secretary, Muhideen Ibrahim and Kola Balogun,  Managing Director of MEMCOL Nigeria Limited, a meter manufacturing firm, urged the government to tackle power challenges from a broader perspective.

    Ibrahim  told The Nation that all sectors of the economy should  depend on each other for growth, arguing that the government’s attempt  to address the problems only in one sector, would not help the power industry.

    He said the power challenges were from other sectors, such as oil and gas and manufacturing. “This is the reason I said stakeholders, including governments must adopt a holistic approach to solving the nation’s problems of which power is the most critical one. Based on this, one can say that the complexities in the power sector are a reflection of a near failed system,  Ibrahim said.

    Balogun said the power sector would not grow if government  fails to solves generation problems by tackling the firms providing components, such as transformers, cables and meter, among others.

    According to him, when personal interest overrides that of the public in a country, the consequence for the economy is bad.

    “Why should somebody vandalise the gas pipelines, steal  armoured cables or underground cables?” he queried. He wondered why vandals should remove wires from the poles, destroy oil fields and wells, tamper with the transformers and meters.

    ‘The destruction of gas pipelines and  other national assets is injurious to the nation’ Balogun said.

  • How to tackle tourism challenges, by expert

    Nigerians have been urged not to leave the challenges of tourism to operators alone.

    A tourism consultant, Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, said on Tuesday in Abuja,that the sector’s  challenges of lack of capital, poor government support, poor infrastructure, political instability and natural calamities hinder its  growth.

    “Lack of capital is normally a big challenge because any individual who wants to invest in this industry must have capital in terms of money as well as other resources such as land and labour. The government does not give enough support to this industry, especially in terms of allocation of funds as well as encouragement to potential investors in tourism,” Ndu said.

    He added that Nigeria has very poor roads that hinder access to areas rich in wildlife and this has resulted in further drawbacks in the industry. He also said political instability and insecurity in the country is an issue of concern to tourists and these have made international tourists to pause when they think of visiting the country.

    “Insecurity issues, tribal clashes, Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen and farmers’ attacks have also posed a threat to the industry. Though, gratefully the present government is doing a great deal to ameliorate the situation, there is also a need to improve social services such as providing sporting and recreational facilities while also re-jigging and improving the health care delivery system,” he said.

    The tourism expert said most of the tourist sites are located in the remote areas of the country and since these facilities are usually lacking in such areas, they become unavailable to would-be visitors.

    Ndu also said low levels of technology and destruction of wildlife has also been a challenge. “In most cases, these tourist areas do not have telephone and Internet services and surely in this communication age, nobody wants to be so marooned from civilisation in such a way. For tourists from developed countries, these conditions are difficult to cope with and may make Nigeria unattractive to them,” he stated.

    He pointed out that there are also reports from the national parks and game reserves where poachers kill the animals for various reasons – most of them for commercial purposes. He attributed the deterioration of the industry to lack of education and skills because many Nigerians do not know the importance of wildlife and viewed them only as money-making opportunity.

    “All these problems cannot be left for one sector alone in Nigeria because tourism cuts across all sectors of the economy,’’ Ndu emphasised, calling on all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the private sector to join hands with the tourism and hospitality industry for the nation to access the huge benefits that abound in the sector.

  • NDE to tackle joblessness

    NDE to tackle joblessness

    The Acting Director-General , National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan, has said steps are being taken to harmonise skills-training centres under the supervision of the NDE to give skill acquisition a direction and enforce of standards.

    At a forum last week, Obayan said the directorate was embarking upon the registration of unemployed persons as well as keying into the government programmes on social protection of vulnerable people.

    He said: “There are discussions under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to bring in all skill centres in the country that are owned by government agencies. There is no need for proliferation of the centres because that does not help the overall reduction of unemployment in the country.“

    Obayan said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, had spoken about putting up a memo to that effect so that it is approved that skill centres come under the supervision of the NDE. He said this would enable the NDE schedule trainings in areas skill centres are located.

    He added that even though this will still not be enough until the NDE can have at least one centre in every local government area.

    “When unemployed persons come to NDE, we direct them to go to the Job Centre where we run checks on the type of unemployment individuals have, determine the barriers to employment and then recommend what they need to do to overcome unemployment challenge,” he said.

    He noted that the NDE now has a set of computers that analyse curriculum vitae, do a carrier matching and profile unemployed persons for a job. It will also do analysis on the skill gap between that job that is most suitable for the individual and then determine a training that is most appropriate for such individual.

    “We know that a jobless person that is in the job market does not want a training that will last long. So, we have short-term training that is a quick fix. In a case that some people fall into the unemployable category, hope is not lost for such persons, as such people could then be considered for conditional cash transfer,” he added.

    Obayan said the NDE had a role to play in the implementation of the conditional cash transfer programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He said the job centre would operate alongside traditional training centres.

    Despite the existence of 74 training centres, the NDE boss said they are not enough considering the number of the unemployed persons in the country, even as he said that the NDE currently has desk officers in each local government area in the country in its bid to extend training to the grassroots.

  • Anglican Primate to leaders: tackle insecurity, corruption

    Anglican Primate to leaders: tackle insecurity, corruption

    Buhari, Osinbajo, Tinubu, governors, others see off HID

    IT was a funeral service, but for the cleric, it was an opportunity to speak truth to power.

    The  Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Arch – Bishop Nicholas Okoh, rued the insecurity across the country and the nation’s leaders’ inability to tackle it effectively.

    Rev. Okoh said aside the grave risk terrorists pose to Nigerians, social vices, corruption and increasing unemployment were provoking poor health conditions, with many citizens coming down with various non – communicable diseases.

    The Primate  was delivering his sermon at the funeral church service for the late matriarch of the Awolowo family, Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu(HID) Awolowo at our Saviour’s Church (Anglican Communion) in Ikenne, Ogun State.

    At the service were Vice – President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Bola Tinubu, his wife, Senator Oluremi, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest Shonekan, Governor Segun Mimiko(Ondo), Senator Anthony Adefuye, members of the Ogun State Executive Council, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Senator Gbenga Kaka and former Governor Gbenga Daniel and his wife Olufunke.

    Others are governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), former Governor of Lagos State Alh. Lateef Jakande, former Police Inspector General Tafa Balogun, Senator Biyi Durojaiye, former Governor Segun Oni, Otunba Subomi Balogun,  former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Olu Falae, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife, Hon. Patrick Obaghiagbon, former Governor Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Finance Minister Mrs Kemi Adeosun,  Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Mines and Solid Minerals Minister Dr Kayode Fayemi and Works, Housing and Power Minister Babatunde Fashola.

    The Arch-Bishop noted that the scourge of the insurgents had depleted the nation’s resources and pride.

    Rev. Okoh said: “Terror has taken over our power, money, our strength, our resources and degraded our infrastructure. It has also taken our peace. Government must do something about it. Corruption in all ramifications, including indiscipline, has ruined the society. So, if you graduate and you are unemployed at 27, you’ll find it difficult to get a job. We have a generation that is pinning away.

    “What can we classify as the burdens of the society currently? They are kidnapping, armed robbery, baby factory and corruption, amongst others. Indiscipline has ruined many nations. Unemployment and cultism have ruined the nation.

    “Ill-health, such as diabetes, cancer ravaging the land. It affects everybody – civil servants, businessmen amongst others. None is at rest here. Is there actually anybody who can exclude himself from these yokes? It affects bishops, politicians, academics; none is exempted here.”

    Rev. Okoh extolled the virtues of Mama HID as a committed Christian, whom he said fought the good fight of faith and finished victoriously.

    He said Mama was a supportive and good wife, which informed why her husband, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, described her glowingly as his “jewel of inestimable value”.

    “She stood with him throughout his political travails. She was a courageous woman. Having lost three of her children, she was not overwhelmed by grief.

    “Mama is now at rest from her labours due to her trust in Christ. She has fought a good fight and has finished the race and now she’s having a final rest,” Rev. Okoh said.

  • VC urges varsity administrators to tackle unemployment

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, has urged university administrators to focus on entrepreneurship and skill acquisition programmes to enable the nation fight unemployment.

    Ajibefun made the call while declaring open the maiden Faculty of Education International Conference held at the Nelson Mandela Hall on Tuesday.

    The three-day, with the theme: Promoting entrepreneurship opportunities for sustainable development in the 21st Century, brought together experts from various institutions to discuss unemployment and its solutions.

    The VC identified peoples’ unending search for white-collar job and their neglect of vocational education as causes of unemployment, saying the conventional education emphasised paper qualification at the expense of skills.

    He said: “Early in the 21st Century, we discovered this anomaly and we made efforts to set the records straight, through the incorporation of entrepreneurship in the curriculum and making emphasis on vocational education. We called for government’s supports by releasing funds to start it.”

    The VC said AAUA had inculcated entrepreneurship in its curriculum and set up Centre for Entrepreneurship Development to focus on teaching on self-reliance in partnership with private firms.

    “There can be no doubt that, in a nation where more than 60 per cent of its youths are jobless and some are criminally-inclined, the best contribution that any organisation or an individual can offer is to make entrepreneurial skills and training available to the unemployed youths to enable them achieve personal empowerment and self-development,” he added.

    Earlier in his address, the Dean of the faculty, Prof Sunday Amuseghan, said the initiative was part of the commitment of the faculty to vision and mission of the university. He praised the management for giving support for the conference.

    In their separate keynote presentations, Prof Richard Cooper of Temple University in Philadelphia, Unite States, Prof Olufemi Bamiro, former VC of University of Ibadan (UI), and Prof Ibukun Williams, Director, AAUA Leadership Institute for Public Policy and Sustainable Development, outlined a number of recommendations for the promotion of entrepreneurship opportunities in the country.