BY JOHN EBIOFINI
Harnessing the entrepreneurial spirit is one of the effective ways to contribute to nation’s building .
The Group Managing Director, Capitalsage Holdings, Mr John Alamu gave the assertion in Akure at a lecture organized by the School of Post Graduate Studies, Federal University of Technology Akure FUTA.
Speaking on the topic Research and Entrepreneurship: Keys to Driving the GDP and Economy of Developing nations, Mr Alamu said Nation building was a multifaceted endeavour beyond mere infrastructure development or political stability.
“One of the most compelling aspects of harnessing entrepreneurship for Nation building is its capacity to promote inclusivity. When entrepreneurship is democratized, barriers to entry are lowered, marginalized communities are empowered, it becomes a powerful tool for reducing inequality.”
He however said the path to harnessing entrepreneurship for Nation building was not without challenges.
“Regulatory hurdles, access to finance and the need for entrepreneurial education are just a few of the obstacles entrepreneurs face. Yet these challenges are not insurmountable. They present opportunities for innovation, policy reforms and collaborations.”
The group managing director pointed out that if well researched entrepreneurship could strengthen the country’s Sense of pride and would help mitigate risks by providing a deeper understanding of the challenges ahead.
Two of the students, Dayo Pelumi and Grace Locksley who described the lecture as timely charged their colleagues to go further to practicalize their researches to better the society.
They said doing this as a technologically based students of FUTA would solve many of the problems confronting the Nation.
On his part, the chairman, organizing committee, professor Christopher Akinbile said the lecture was organized to increase the horizons of students to engage in entrepreneurship activities.
Earlier in a welcome address, FUTA Vice Chancellor , Professor Adenike Oladiji urged governments at all levels to establish a strong link between Universities and industries to support rapid economic growth in the country.
Professor Oladiji, represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development , Professor Sunday Oluyamo pointed out that breaking new grounds or advancing into unknown territories often come with many challenges hence the country needed to develop uncommon competencies particularly boldness in the face of opposing and discouraging forces.
The lecture was attended by members of the university community including Dean School of Post Graduate Studies Prof O.A. Bello-Olusoji, FUTA registrar Mr Adeleye among others.