Oludele Itiola, a professor and rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta has disclosed that the high level of unemployment in the country could be greatly reduced if government, especially President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration could provide funds in form of start-up loans for graduates of higher institutions across the country.
The rector spoke at ‘Open Market Day’ organised by Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Centre for Entreprenuerial Studies in Abeokuta yesterday against the backdrop of rising level of unemployment in the country, adding that it was high time government at various levels supported entrepreneurial skills of graduates, but jobless Nigerians with start-up loans.
He said, “The government can support us with funds and one thing I believe in and which I have been calling on government at all level is that, when these students graduate they will need a start-up loans to start their ideas and develop it. So, we are calling on government and multinational companies to assist our students by giving them start up loans.”
While commenting on how the polytechnic helps in building students’ entrepreneurial skills, Itiola explained “one thing I will like you to know is that our centre has been involved in this for a very long time and more recently we have been developing a lot of opportunities for
our students to engage themselves in self development.
“This Open Market Day and of course you can see the enthusiasm, the varieties of things on show, it shows what we have been engaging ourselves in here. We don’t just want our students to graduate from their different departments alone but also to be self-employed even after graduation, since it is not everybody that will be employed by the government.
“So, we want to give them that opportunity to have an option so that they can go into such options if they want. Even while you are being employed by someone, you can as well be an
entrepreneur and that is what we are trying to develop in our students. We want to set up an Occupation Centre where we can be fully engaged in the entrepreneurship activities.”
He however, appealed to government to correct the dichotomy existing in the labour market between the Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor Degrees, adding that the media campaigns should centre on the issue in order to correct discrepancy that affects the holders of HND and Bachelor Degrees.
He siad, “The dichotomy of HND and B.Sc has truly been on for a long time and is not something that would disappear in one day, but we need to recognize the importance and relevant of education in the polytechnics. Meanwhile, it is at the same level and I am sure with efforts and our campaign programme, this dichotomy will disappear.”
RAZAQ AYINLA
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