The Technical Assistant to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State, on Enterprise Development, Babangida Ruma, has challenged Nigerian youths, particularly university students, to abandon the traditional job-hunting mindset and embrace entrepreneurship as a direct route to financial independence.
Speaking at the National Workshop on Creating a New Model for Dynamic Growth Through Entrepreneurial Education in Abuja, Ruma delivered a hard-hitting message on the need for practical skills and innovation to combat youth unemployment.
The event, organised by Allied Bond Consulting in partnership with PIFS Conferences and Seminars, brought together key stakeholders to explore strategies for embedding entrepreneurial thinking in young Nigerians.
Ruma, also a lecturer in Information Technology and Entrepreneurship, shared the real-life success story of one of his former students who built a profitable business from scratch.
“In her first year, she had no business plan, no capital, just a cooking skill and a passion,” he recounted.
“She leveraged WhatsApp, charged N1,000 per participant, and taught cooking classes. She gathered over 1,000 participants across multiple groups, making over N1 million in the process.”
He stressed that social media offers young Nigerians a cost-effective platform to start businesses with minimal investment. “There are no jobs, that’s a fact. But the real change comes from innovation in the private sector. You don’t need millions to start. You just need to use what you have and start small.”
According to him, even modest ventures can yield impressive results if paired with creativity and market awareness. “Even with N1,500 per service, if 500 people pay, you’re already looking at N750,000. The skill to multiply money is far more important than the money itself.”
For his part, Chairman of Allied Bond Consulting, Dr Joe Anyor, called for a revolution in entrepreneurship education, urging a shift from certificate-driven learning to what he termed “Sabi-tificate” — skill-based, solution-oriented training.
“This workshop is about changing the narrative. We are building a new model that empowers students to become job creators, not job seekers. It’s time to move beyond degrees and focus on real-world skills.”
He proposed a system that equips educators to teach entrepreneurial thinking and practical business skills so that graduates can start ventures immediately after leaving school.
Similarly, Dr Adams Ayoade Tijani, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, called for an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s entrepreneurship education system.
“Degrees are no longer enough. We need to ensure that students are trained to solve real-world problems, not just pass exams. It’s time to teach our students how to turn their knowledge into practical, marketable skills.”
He argued that every academic field has untapped entrepreneurial potential if aligned with societal needs. “Even indigenous knowledge, when properly harnessed, can create viable business opportunities.”
Director of Entrepreneurship and Skills Development at Spiritan University, Dr Rex E. Ufomba, pushed for the creation of sustainable industrial hubs within universities to allow students to develop real businesses while still in school.
“Unemployment is a growing challenge in Nigeria, but the solution lies in student-driven entrepreneurship. It’s not enough to teach students theory; we need to encourage them to create real businesses while still in school. The sooner we start implementing ‘studentpreneurship,’ the sooner we’ll see a shift toward self-reliance.”
He urged universities to assess students based on their ability to build enterprises that solve local problems rather than on academic theories alone.
PIAK