Apart from the connection, there is nothing new to be taught about entrepreneurship.

If you are not ready to think, you are never set to succeed.

What they all have in common, including those who never went to Harvard, is that they provide solution, after carefully studying the problems!!!

Harvard has a very rigorous and strict entry process. It is so stringent, only the best of the best get admitted.

So they admit the best and graduate the best.

gentlefada:
Looking at the Nigerian business scene today there is something that is common to Nigerian entrepreneur(though not all of them) is their affiliation to the Harvard university.
Most of these entrepreneur have made it big after their education at harvard.

Now my question is what do they teach at harvard that gets people prepared for the business environment in Nigeria?

The more you look the less you see

babyfaceafrica:
lie!!... Most successful people are business men not certificate pursuers

I'll agree with you when it comes to the bolded. What I'm saying is most Startups by Harvard products are successful. I have noticed that.

Harvard has some of the best minds in business, law and other aspects of career. If you attend Harvard you get connected to great minds and in no time you start thinking and acting like one. The people, the environment, the system it would influence you positively. You become your best.

Chuksemi:
Harvard has a very rigorous and strict entry process. It is so stringent, only the best of the best get admitted.

So they admit the best and graduate the best.

how do u accept the Best, when u are just about to teach him the trade?

Sisqoman:
What is Harvard?

people use it to eat groundnut.

oneblacboi:
Harvard just rubber stamps people who are already capable of success. This is not to take anything away from their curriculum.

The secret formula is simple - if you admit only the best, your graduates would be the best!

Word

Original poster... How good is ur research drive.. The itemized personalities did not "make it" after attending Harvard.. They were already made or at least partially established before proceeding to HBS. Most "wealthy" Nigerians made their monies after getting their fair share of govt indulgence and leverage. It's EASY money. Only few made it thru hard work and dedication. Like Ive always opined.. Foreign biz schools can only teach u ideal and not contextual practical knowledge. What applies to developed climes can't be wholly superimposed and put into practice here in Africa (Nigeria).

Hmmm

kingsizedude:
you see we kill what ever is native and admire what is foreign ,I just hate that I'm a Nigerian with all this bunch of monkeys that knows nothing apart from stupid things...likes of creating divide and lots of black man weaknesses.

Maybe its because what is native is not exactly progressive ..... but then who says you cannot adopt foreign knowledge to promote the positive native stuff e.g researching into the potency of our natural healing methods vs throwing away traditional healing practices for western medicine
I think it comes down to laziness and inability to be creative

KINGwax007:
Apart from the connection, there is nothing new to be taught about entrepreneurship.

If you are not ready to think, you are never set to succeed.

What they all have in common, including those who never went to Harvard, is that they provide solution, after carefully studying the problems!!!

Per the bolded...very true

But here's the thing, our various universities DO NOT TRAIN undergraduates to think.

Have u noticed?

@embolden.... Those guys are not the founders of Jumia ooo! Go read more about how Rocket Internet Group works.

The group maintains a collection of platforms and give out funds to MBA graduates to go champion it. I know they merged Kasuwa with the Jumia brand though.

I think the level of success attained by the founders of Jumia, [b]Raphael Afaedor and Tunde Kehinde, [/b]can be attributed to what they were taught at Harvard Business School. Both met at Harvard and came up with the idea of setting up an online retail shop in Nigeria. I also think Harvard Alumni plays in role in financing most start-ups created by Harvard graduates.

KINGwax007:
how do u accept the Best, when u are just about to teach him the trade?

Check for Harvard entry requirements. The brightest maybe.

I think Wharton has more successful MBAs. But the truth about these schools is that they are expensive and are a bit difficult to get into. So that when a person graduates, he has immediate recognition and prospects. But at the say time they were rich prior, so they could found a company if they wanted...

You don't have to go to Harvard to be successful or make a reasonable impact. I have never been to Harvard but I have been cited in Harvard business journal by a patent right owner,Ndubuisi Ekekwe.

It's about how much you want it and how far you are willing to go to get it. By the way not all Harvard graduates are successful, the guys that crashed Long Term Capital Management are Harvard and MIT graduates, and so is our very own Alison-Madueke.

kingsizedude:
you see we kill what ever is native and admire what is foreign ,I just hate that I'm a Nigerian with all this bunch of monkeys that knows nothing apart from stupid things...likes of creating divide and lots of black man weaknesses.

oh c,me on!!!! the young man simply put up his observation to understand harvard blueprint. i picked up one or two "things" from the comments so far. now my question to you is what happens to nigeria institutions alumni and the fee we paid to them during our final year in respective institutions?....

I think before u graduate, u will be given secret businesses to survive in Africa Cox Africa has lots of opportunities inside her. And u will be connected with Great Alumni to help u start up the business. They also have leadership programs,
Peter Obi and so many other billionaires attended the school... Its a school but offers programs, some 3months, 6months etc. Ruben Abati is having a program there now.
I'll be happy if I attend that school 1 day. Even if na 1week course I'll learn a lot

kingsizedude:
you see we kill what ever is native and admire what is foreign ,I just hate that I'm a Nigerian with all this bunch of monkeys that knows nothing apart from stupid things...likes of creating divide and lots of black man weaknesses.

Harvard is the Best....
Its better than any African school
This is not about patriotism,!its the fact

Harvard. Going there soon.

Lol...we have millions of business men in Nigeria who do not even know jack about havard. They use their brain, do business and make millions. Chinese, lebanese, south Africans, Indians are chancing you people in your country buy simply producing things for you to consume and ya'll shouting havard up and down. Una no go manufacture, produce or invent anything...na to dey pursue certificate up and down to gather dey find job. You want bs.c ms.c, PhD, MBA, aca, PDP, nta, APC, all just to work, work work. After everything, ordinary drainage, na Chinese or Germans go help una build am. Of all the high rise buildings in Nigeria, how many Nigerian companies they build am? Na so so Cappa n Alberto and many lebanese companies dey in charge. Na big big grammar we like to speak with nothing to show for it.

JustinSlayer69:
This thread is very flimsy.

I thought it would be a critical analysis of why going to Harvard won't make you a success.

Dangote, Alakija, Mai Deribe didn't go to Harvard, so does it mean it isn't a good school? They didn't go to Oxford - so it's a bad school,right?

Most of the guys listed here, went AFTER they made it in life by the way...

Don't mind the op.He is one of the majority of deluded Nigerian youths who think that success falls from heaven or without "connection from high places", they won't succeed.

Actually, Harvard Biz school admits the best set of students.
And the product of a school =student x teacher [i.e input and the processor determines the output ]
Harvard students re given the best by default, and they re offered more highly placed job, opportunities to thrive than their counterparts from other school bc they re held of high esteem, just like the way a graduate of ABU, UI, IFE, UNN re placed higher than a graduate of a state varsity.
I guess the name alone Harvard is a selling point to them coupled with the world class business ideas taught in the school.

JustinSlayer69:
This thread is very flimsy.

I thought it would be a critical analysis of why going to Harvard won't make you a success.

Dangote, Alakija, Mai Deribe didn't go to Harvard, so does it mean it isn't a good school? They didn't go to Oxford - so it's a bad school,right?

Most of the guys listed here, went AFTER they made it in life by the way...

Gbam....you nailed it.

gentlefada:
Looking at the Nigerian business scene today there is something that is common to Nigerian entrepreneur(though not all of them) is their affiliation to the Harvard university.
Most of these entrepreneur have made it big after their education at harvard. Some of them are mentioned below:

1) JIMOH IBRAHIM (owner of global fleet group of companies)

2) HAKEEM BELO OSAGIE (chairman etisalat Nigeria and former chairman of UBA)

3) TONY ELUMELU (former chirman of uba and chairman of heirs holdings) etc.

Now my question is what do they teach at harvard that gets people prepared for the business environment in Nigeria?

It's not a school you go starting from kindergarten to primary to secondary school. This a school privileged people go to upgrade their business skills. Most a times it is companies that send them there . So, most of the people you hear of were already successful before they went to the school.

Bottom line: It is not the school that made them successful. Rather, they had the right mindset and they knew what they were doing- which is why they went to the school in the first place. As a matter of fact, it could be the school don't teach them anything new but just a moral boost. Plus, the crazy way the human psychology works would make anybody think someone coming out of the school is a genius (just as you think) thereby giving them advantage.

kingsizedude:
you see we kill whatever is native and admire what is foreign, I just hate that I'm a Nigerian with all this bunch of monkeys that knows nothing apart from stupid things...likes of creating divide and lots of black man weaknesses.

Sometimes faux patriotism is unwise especially in the face of data. Havard is simply one of the best at creating successful entrepreneurs worldwide. It wouldn't be unreasonable thus to extrapolate that the same applies in Nigeria. The data is not sufficiently large enough for us to reach this specific conclusion. Worldwide, however, Havard is one of the best.

As to the reason, many have alluded to it. Central is the network and signal a Havard degree provides. Regarding Nigerian business specifically, one may argue that perhaps, a Nigerian business school has the local advantage. It should ideally be able to beat Havard in the Nigerian business environment. Look into these schools however and they instead are trying to emulate Havard.

How many books, case studies and research are our universities involved in? Minimal. Until it improves, Havard will beat them hands down on the local front without even trying. Except, Havard is actually trying. Look at the great work of Havard researcher Efosa Ejomo, who writes on Nigerian/ African business. His research and insight is excellent.

I have a masters from lbs and sometimes I can boast of being a stellar business analyst. Recently I visited the biggest distributor of spirit in trade fair lagos, the guy no go school, but I learnt a lot from him. Nigerian education system makes one more dumb, imagine a first class biochemistry student begging for a customer service job that pays 40k.

Forget the hype, if you can pay 80million tuition, then I feel all you need is fame.

have a masters from lbs and sometimes I can boast of being a stellar business analyst. Recently I visited the biggest distributor of spirit in trade fair lagos, the guy no go school, but I learnt a lot from him. Nigerian education system makes one more dumb, imagine a first class biochemistry student begging for a customer service job that pays 40k.

Forget the hype, if you can pay 80million tuition, then I feel all you need is fame.

LorDBolton:

Per the bolded...very true

But here's the thing, our various universities DO NOT TRAIN undergraduates to think.

Have u noticed?

I believe we are lazy thinkers. The so, 'thinking' we are talking about, is an application of what was learnt. Everything is being taught in school, aside the application. Only the thinkers, apply the theories.

Now, allow me to explain.

In physics, we were being taught the Graham's bell. And one of the application, as an example, is the bell. But did you knw, that a smart asss, use the same application in Graham's bell, to design an electric clippers!!!!

Now, the inventor of the electric clippers was taught Graham's bell, with the others. I bet, he might have been an average student, but, he came up with another idea, by applying the theory of the bell- have, the electric clippers.

In the institution, we were being taught the theories and few examples, the rest, lies with u....

You see am?

See o