Nigeria is set to be the first country in Africa to own a Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship.
This followed moves by the Senate on Monday (it was overwhelmingly supported by stakeholders at a Public Hearing) to ensure the establishment of the institution in Bama, Borno State.
When set up, the University would address the “high quest for white-collar jobs with the attendant unemployment.”
Sponsor of the Bill for its creation, Senator Kaka Lawan (APC Borno Central), at the public hearing organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, said, “Entrepreneurship education is a form of education that seeks to provide knowledge, skills, attitude and motivation to students for entrepreneurial success in various facets of human endeavour, by equipping them with the ability to seek investment opportunities and maximize returns from those investments.”
He added, “The proposed university which focuses on agriculture and entrepreneurship will provide a platform for youths to transform opportunities to business ventures and, accordingly, manage those ventures to become a medium for job creation for themselves and others.”
Continuing, he disclosed that Nigeria needs the proposed University to tackle the rising rate of youth unemployment which is second to that of South Africa.
“Disheartening is the fact that, according to the Spectator Index (a global youth unemployment index), Nigeria has an astronomical 53 percent youth unemployment rate which places it second to only South Africa, which has 61 percent youth unemployment.
“These worrisome statistics have negative effects on the nation generally, as they lead to geometric rise in social vices and crimes in the society, all in the quest for survival.
“Required solution however lies in the proposed university that focuses on agriculture and entrepreneurship education, which prepares the youths to be responsible and enterprising,” he maintained.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of the committee,Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, said the proposed specialized University, when established, would be first of its kind in Africa.
By KINGSLEY BENNETH @INDEPENDENT
