We have to do a radical change in the way we go about the business of education in this country if we want it to transform our nation. We have to make sure our education unlocks the power and potential within the student way beyond just bagging First Class degrees, but to the point where the student sees himself as first adding value to the society before earning money with that degree. We have to encourage students to acquire broader knowledge beyond just what their course is, and even go beyond the traditional career options of their discipline. The most important thing in the world today is that one is providing value in what he/she does, and not about what he/she studied. Gone are those days where an engineering student must be a practicing engineer; the notion is as archaic as the Industrial Age. The solutions can come from random places, and not even what was learned formally in school. What matters most, nay, all that matters is that whatever he is doing is something beneficial to others first...
Then profitable to himself. As much as I know that the Nigerian business environment is a very tough one, it is not impossible to achieve this. As a matter of fact, the type of solutions that will be created will even take advantage of the business environment. This is where the power of local knowledge comes into play. There will always be problems and challenges requiring solutions. What we need most is problem-solvers; solution-providers; change-workers. We need people who are creating solutions to problems and also to make a living out of it. It is the combination of the two that forms entrepreneurship, be it business or social (non-profit). Most especially, we need these people now if we are to lift ourselves from the economic pit we find ourselves: young people who will be possessed by ideas that they believe will change their world and solve problems and finding ways to achieve it.
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