Be Entrepreneurs, Not Job Seekers, Emefiele Tasks Varsity Graduates

(Photo Caption) University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) 2017 convocation lecturer and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in warm handshake with Prof. Chukwuma Soludo former CBN Governor, Chairman of the 2017 convocation lecture on Thursday, November 30, 2017. Emefiele and Soludo were 1984 graduates of UNN.

The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Thursday, November 30, 2017, enjoined graduates of the nation’s universities to change their mindsets by work towards becoming entrepreneurs and employers of labour than job seekers
Emefiele, who spoke while delivering the 47th Convocation Lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, insisted that in spite of its many challenges, Nigeria remains a land of limitless opportunities.

Graduates, he said, can explore and take advantage of these challenges to become job creators in the economy at a time of rising unemployment.
To enable the youths become job creators, the CBN Governor, who spoke on: “A mindset for Succeeding in Today’s Nigeria,” however warned that failure to galvanise the youths could boomerang against the Nigerian society.
Emefiele, who is also an alumnus of the University, said the CBN, as part of its effort to address the challenge of unemployment on the one hand and the promotion of entrepreneurship among the youths, had designed and formulated policies and programmes aimed at direct real sector intervention.

He therefore encouraged Nigerian youth with not more than five years post-service experience to take advantage of the CBN’s Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YEDP), run in collaboration with banks and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
Citing examples of successful entrepreneurs and businesses in Nigeria and abroad, Emefiele further challenged the graduating students to take identify opportunities in their respective environments, motivate themselves, create innovative ideas that would turn their ideas into profitable ventures.

Speaking on current economic developments and policies of the CBN, Emefiele recalled that several global shocks that affected the Nigerian economy were amplified due to the country’s over-reliance on the oil sector for its foreign exchange revenue and for government finances.
The apex bank, he recalled, embarked on some proactive policy measures such as policy tightening, restriction of forex for imports of 41 non-essential commodities, exchange rate management and development financing in key sectors in order to keep the economy sound.
Citing indicators such as the decline in inflation, improvement in forex supply, accretion to the foreign reserves and improvements in the World Bank’s “doing business indicators,” as well as the significant boost in local production, Emefiele said the Nigerian economy had turned the corner and the worst days were behind.

Earlier, in is his welcome address, Vice Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba said the convocation lecture was one of the prestigious public lectures hosted by the institutions, following which the convocation lecture was usually reserved for men and women whose achievements will motivate and inspire graduating students and the entire university community to greater achievements.
He listed some of the projects being embarked on by the university, for which solicited funding support to accomplish them, assuring that the initiatives would not only increase entrepreneurship and innovation, but help curb youth restiveness in the country.

One of the highpoints of the convocation lecture, which was graced by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, of Enugu State, was the presentation of plaques and the Lion laptops manufactured by the University to Emefiele as well as a former Governor of the CBN, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who was Chairman of the event.

http://investdata.com.ng/2017/12/entrepreneurs-not-job-seekers-emefiele-tasks-varsity-graduates/