WE WILL DO ALL POSSIBLE TO BRING OUT ENTREPRENEURIAL POTENTIAL SKILLS IN OUR YOUTHS – ODSG

The Ondo State government has said it will continue to support every available means to equip and bring out the entrepreneurial potential skills in the students and youths of the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Mr Femi Agagu stated this at the 2019 global entrepreneurship project exhibition and award with the theme : “Entrepreneurship, Better quite early— seeing needs and solving problem” held in Akure on Tuesday.

Agagu who was represented by the permanent secretary ministry of Education, Science and Technology Rev. Akin Asaniyan (FPA) described entrepreneurship as the engine room of economic growth and productivity.

The Commissioner posited that the success story of most successful nations today like USA, China, Indian e.t.c was traced to their early discovery of entrepreneurship as a catalyst to sustainable economy, thus making them the giants of global economy.

Agagu told the students that they had the potentials and the passion to change the world through commitment and dedication, adding that they could unlock new solutions to the pressing global challenges facing the country.

Speaking in similar vein, the Ondo State Head of service Mr Dare Aragbaye said education was more than acquisition of paper certificates .

Aragbaye who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Board for Technical and Vocational education, Dr (Mrs) Arinola Akinsete said education without skills would only roll out unemployable graduates, hence the emphasis on entrepreneurship training,skills acquisition and practicals in the State Technical Colleges, Polytechnics and Universities.

The Head of Service said the present administration in Ondo State wss poised to breed and nurture Technologists and Entrepreneurs capable of turning things around in their various spheres of endeavours.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Ondo State global entrepreneurship network Mr Wale Akinyanmi said if Nigeria would remain as one indivisible entity and come out of the present economic challenges, it must embrace entrepreneurship, noting that era of white collar jobs was gradually going into extinction.

In her speech the Director Science and Technology, Ministry of Education Science and Technology Mrs Yemisi Olayode expressed joy over the innovations and ingenuity of the students noting that there were hopes for the future economy of this country.

Highlights of the programme were tour of the exhibition by guests led by representative of the Head of Service and the Permanent secretary ministry of Education Science and Technology as well as assessment of the projects by a team of Assessors led by Mrs Olamide Falana

Some entrepreneurial projects exhibited by the Students were fish traps, kerosene incubator, shoe making, cake baking, cloth weaving, cloth dyeing etc

The 2019 global entrepreneurship project exhibition had earlier been held for all Secondary Schools in Ondo State at five different zones of Akure, Ondo, Owo, Ikare Akoko and Okitipupa with the best three (3) of each zone selected for the final competition.

Out of the fifteen (15) Schools that came for final exhibitions, three schools emerged as the best and went home with a trophy each and other prizes.