A Chief Lecturer at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, Dr Ebenezer Ademuyiwa Oje, has called for greater emphasis on entrepreneurship, vocational training and practical skills in Nigeria’s education system.
Oje, of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Vocational Education, said many successful young Nigerian entrepreneurs achieved their success largely through personal development, resilience and determination rather than skills acquired from formal education.
Speaking on Trade FM’s Business of Learning, he said entrepreneurship is still taught superficially in many Nigerian schools, with inadequate attention to practical business skills.
According to him, students need to be taught how to identify problems, develop solutions, market their products, manage customers and finances, and take calculated risks.
Oje noted that some schools are beginning to establish vocational and entrepreneurship centres where students can acquire practical skills and basic business knowledge, even when such programmes are not part of the formal curriculum.
He also advocated stronger partnerships between schools, businesses and other organisations to provide students with mentorship, industry exposure and access to grants and other forms of support.
The lecturer said financial literacy, marketing, communication and customer management should be deliberately incorporated into entrepreneurship education, stressing that having a business idea without knowing how to manage and commercialise it could limit its success.
He recommended that students should have opportunities to spend two or three months with companies or experienced entrepreneurs to gain practical experience before venturing into business independently.
Oje further called for properly equipped vocational and enterprise centres, saying students cannot acquire practical competence when the necessary equipment and facilities are unavailable.
He also urged government to provide grants, affordable loans and other forms of support to young Nigerians seeking to establish businesses, noting that government alone cannot provide jobs for the entire population.
On Nigeria’s strong emphasis on certificates, Oje said the society must gradually shift from valuing academic qualifications alone to recognising what individuals can practically do and the value they can create.
He also urged parents to encourage their children to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills alongside formal education, rather than insisting solely on prestigious professions.
Oje advised young Nigerians with practical skills or business ideas to be courageous, take calculated risks and remain committed, stressing that the fear of failure should not prevent them from turning their talents into sustainable livelihoods.
