The Vice-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja, has called on the Federal Government to strengthen and expand youth entrepreneurship initiatives by revitalising the YouWiN programme and similar intervention schemes to create more opportunities for young Nigerians.
The appeal was made on Thursday during a public lecture and the presentation of free books organised by the Federal Ministry of Finance at the university.
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Speaking through the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Students Mentorship, Professor Lateef Adeniran, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Lar Patricia Manko Fawehinmi, commended the Federal Government for sustaining entrepreneurship programmes aimed at empowering young people.
He, however, urged the government to introduce fresh innovations that would broaden the impact of the initiatives and enable more youths to become self-reliant instead of depending solely on public sector employment.
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“There is a need to rejig the YouWiN programme and other entrepreneurship platforms to guarantee greater opportunities and promote self-sustenance for Nigerian youths beyond government jobs,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor also appealed to the Federal Ministry of Finance to include Yakubu Gowon University students in future entrepreneurship interventions, noting that the institution has taken deliberate steps to integrate entrepreneurial development into its academic and mentorship programmes.
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“Our students should be considered in government entrepreneurship programmes, especially as the university has domesticated entrepreneurship initiatives to equip them with practical skills for the future,” he added.
The event featured lectures on entrepreneurship and the distribution of books highlighting the experiences and achievements of successful entrepreneurs from different parts of the world.
