Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has urged Nigerians, especially young people, to learn entrepreneurial and other skills to brighten their chances of earning decent pay in the evolving economy.
He also called on the working class to consider going into businesses and other vocations after retirement.
Represented by Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, the Governor spoke in Ilorin on Monday, the state capital, when he received participants of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course 6/23 from the Nigerian Army Resource Centre on a courtesy visit.
The team is in Kwara for five days (18-22) on a study tour focusing on “the Role of SMEs in Job Creation and Increased Productivity through Backward Integration”.
“In Nigeria of today, you need the skills to survive. If you do research on how many degrees or even PhD holders Nigeria now has, you will be surprised. Having degrees is no longer enough. You need other skills that will guarantee you jobs. Therefore, entrepreneurship training is key for you to build yourself and find something doing meaningfully,” the Governor said.
“I am particularly happy about one part of your courses you mentioned, which is entrepreneurship. A lot of people who served for as long as 35 years often find it difficult to integrate back into society as business owners after retirement. Some would say they can’t start business again at 60. That’s not true. A lot of people started businesses at 65 years old, and they still succeed. What matters most is that you have to keep your brain busy.”
The Governor commended the team for the visit, and the Nigerian Army Resource Centre for the choice of Kwara state for the study tour. He assured the participants of a safe and comfortable stay.
AbdulRazaq also sympathized with the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army on the recent killing of some servicemen by unknown gunmen in Delta state.
He condemned the attack and praised President Tinubu for his swift action and the directive to fish out the perpetrators.
“What happened was unacceptable, and I sympathise with the Nigerian Army for what happened in Delta state. It is annoying to the government and Nigeria as a nation. How can you just kill people like that? And we align with what President Bola Tinubu said that we must apprehend them (killers). It’s very unfortunate. We sympathise with the military and the families affected, and we pray that such a thing never happens again,” he added.
The team lead, Major General Sadiq Ndalolo, said the essence of the tour is to bridge the knowledge gap between theory and practice, adding that the curriculum of the course covers policy management, entrepreneurship, psychology, research and methodology.
He thanked the government for the warm reception, saying they look forward to enjoying their stay in the state.
“On behalf of the Director General, Nigeria Army Resource Center, Major General Garba Ayodeji, I appreciate the Executive Governor and yourself for the warm reception. We are looking forward to having a nice time in Kwara state,” he said.
Prof Okey Okechukwu, a member of the team, said they selected Kwara as a place of study because of its numerous establishments that the participants can learn from, describing the people of the state as welcoming.