The Federal Government has charged school principals to equip students with entrepreneurial skills and mindset to enable them to succeed especially in a society where white collar jobs were scarce and unemployment was on the rise.
The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu who gave the charge on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Principals of Federal Unity Colleges with the theme, “Entrepreneurship Education: A Panacea for Self-Reliance and National Development,” said helping students to think creatively, have the confidence to take calculated risks was a collective responsibility.
While noting that entrepreneurship education would help in cultivating a resilient mindset, developing innovative solutions and empowering job creators, the minister added that stakeholders could empower students to become job creators rather than mere job seekers by integrating entrepreneurship education into the curriculum.
According to him, the four pillars underpinning educational transformation include; teacher empowerment through continuous training and growth, strategic integration of technology and digital learning, curriculum revitalization for relevance and academic excellence, as well as forging robust partnerships with communities and industries.
He said: “I want to emphasize the significance of fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in our youths, a spirit that will propel them toward self-reliance and contribute meaningfully to our nation’s development.
“First and foremost, I acknowledge the challenges that our youths face in today’s competitive job market. Unemployment remains a pressing concern, and it is our collective responsibility to equip our students with the skills and mindset necessary to succeed.
“Entrepreneurship education offers a solution to this challenge as it prepares students to think creatively, innovate, and develop the confidence to take calculated risks.
“Entrepreneurship is not merely about starting a business; it is about cultivating a mindset that embraces challenges, perseveres through failures, and continuously learns from experiences. It is about instilling in our students the ability to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions and create value for themselves and their communities.
“By integrating entrepreneurship education into our curriculum, we can empower our students to become job creators rather than mere job seekers. We can inspire them to develop sustainable business models that address societal needs, drive economic growth, and contribute to national development.”
Executive Secretary National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Dr. Iyela Ajayi, said the Commission in the last two years has trained over 600 Senior Secondary School teachers of English Language and Mathematics on the enhancement of pedagogical skills focusing on the perceived difficult concepts.
“As the global economy continues to evolve, it is imperative that we prepare our learners not just for employment but for creating job opportunities for the teeming youth.
“Entrepreneurship Education equips the learners and the society in general with the skills necessary to become innovative thinkers and job creators, fostering self-reliance and contributing to our national growth.”
Chairperson, Federal Unity Colleges and Principal, FSTC, Ilesa, Dr Idowu Akinbamijo, said the annual meeting focuses on the issues of skills acquisition leveraging on technology as these were crucial for fostering a dynamic learning environment and equipping young people with the skills necessary to thrive in the modern workforce.
