Campus News

UNILORIN reaffirms commitment to practical entrepreneurial training

By Mustafa Abubaka

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has reiterated the University’s commitment to equipping students with practical entrepreneurial knowledge alongside their academic training to ensure that they graduate with both business acumen and exciting academic qualifications.

Prof. Egbewole, who stated this last Thursday (July 10, 2025) while welcoming a delegation from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in his office, stressed that the University’s goal is to create a robust platform for students to acquire practical business experience, which he described as vital for national development.

He emphasised that simply graduating with a B.Sc. or B.A. is no longer sufficient in today’s economic climate.

“It is important to emphasise that we must build jobs for our graduates. Going out of the University with just a degree is no longer sustainable. Our role is to guide the students on what to do and how to do it, so they can create and scale up their businesses legally”, Prof. Egbewole said.

The Vice Chancellor added that the University’s planned Innovation Hub, when completed, will further support this vision by helping students to become more entrepreneurial and self-reliant after graduation.

Prof. Egbewole commended the CAC for its coordinated efforts and assured the delegation of the readiness of the University readiness to create pathways for students to benefit from government-backed enterprise initiatives.

Speaking earlier, the Head of the CAC delegation, Mr Adeoti Tunde, an alumnus of the University, explained that the visit was on behalf of the Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mr Ishaq Hussaini Magaji, SAN.

Mr Adeoti explained that the visit aimed to strengthen collaboration with the University to ensure that students gain practical business experience alongside their formal education and to support the government’s policy of embedding vocational centres in tertiary institutions to help students discover and develop their skills.

“The number of available jobs in the society is far below the number of graduates we produce yearly. The government’s aim is to raise job creators, not just job seekers”, he said.

He highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s recent commitment to boost national development through grants and loans provided by government institutions such as the Bank of Agriculture and the Bank of Industry, whose capital bases have been significantly increased to support entrepreneurship.

The CAC team leader outlined the benefits of formally registering businesses with the Commission. These include legal status and protection under the law, access to grants and loans, ability to open corporate bank accounts, eligibility for government contracts, opportunities to employ staff, visa facilitation for business travel, and enhanced transparency and accountability in corporate ownership.

He urged students and staff to seek CAC services individually, noting that only accredited agents such as accountants, lawyers, and secretaries are authorised to process registrations. He also clarified key regulatory provisions under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

In his remarks, the Director of the Technical and Entrepreneurship Centre (TEC), Prof. Usman Adebimpe Raheem, explained that although the University currently does not have the mandate to directly enroll students for CAC registration, plans are underway to make it compulsory for 300-level students to register their businesses through the Commission in the coming academic session.

“I made it clear that we do not yet have the mandate to enroll student members for CAC registration. However, once registration becomes mandatory under the relevant framework, it will be easier for us to establish a CAC Desk on campus to guide our students properly,” he said.

The visit concluded with a renewed commitment by both parties to work together to create viable entrepreneurial opportunities for students, equipping them with dual credentials, a degree and a certificate of business experience by the time they graduate.