From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Chairman, British Africa Business Alliance, Mr. David Smith, yesterday, challenged Nigerians with ideas to come out with business plans to utilise 25 billion Pounds held in banks accounts in the UK by low value Africa Savers looking for popportunity to invest the funds.
Delivering a lecture at the 20th Convocation ceremony of the Igbinedion University, Okada, Smith stressed that universities need a new relationship with Business for their funding and development of society in all sectors.
He disclosed that 99 percent of businesses in the UK are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), saying “That is where our employment is, that where our wealth is” but noted that in Nigeria, MSMEs account for only three percent.
The British Africa Business Alliance Chairman stated that a University is not just about graduating students but applying the knowledge to advance society in terms of development.
Smith whose lecture theme was “Collaborative Advantage”, urged the graduands not to wait but to set their targets between now and the next 27 years as the population of Nigeria will double and exceed that of the US, going by the United Nations (UN) projection.
He told them that those who graduated before them have done the best they could in the circumstances they found themselves, stressing that the bulk of the work in speeding up Nigeria’s development rests on their shoulders, even as he called for collaboration and team work to bring this about.
Declaring the ceremony open, Deputy Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, who represented the Chancellor, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, said the event marked another milestone in the trajectory of the university as it turns out yet another set of “Blu-sky graduates who are eager to contribute their quota to nation building.
“This year, we are marking the 23rd anniversary of our existence devoted to top-notch training at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Over these years, our university has not relented in its commitment to deliver world-class education in a highly conducive global environment, inspiring a culture of creativity and innovative experience, with the ultimate objective of producing global leaders”, he said.
Earlier, in his address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, said “This year’s convocation is particularly significant as we celebrate 23 years of academic excellence and two decades track record of timely graduation and unbroken convocation.
“The University has since inception graduated over sixteen thousand undergraduate aid postgraduate students. At this Convocation Ceremony, another batch of 691 students comprising 557 undergraduate and 134 postgraduate students will be added to the list of distinguished graduands spread across seven colleges.
“The breakdown of the undergraduate students show that 13 are in First Class; 248 students in Second Class Upper Division; and 215 in Second Class Lower Division. There is none in Third Class, while the degrees of 81 Pharmacy students are unclassified. For the postgraduate students, 40 are for PhD, 82 for Masters and 12 Postgraduate Diploma”, the Vice Chancellor stated.