UNIZIK students urged to embrace entrepreneurship

Students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State (UNIZIK) have been challenged to consider entrepreneurship while in school or after graduation.

Chief Executive Officer, Roban Stores, Sir Robert Onyebuchi Anwatu, gave the advice at the Ninth Chike Okoli Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies lecture series titled, “From Rags to Riches” aimed at exposing participants to the benefits of entrepreneurship.

He said the students must think outside the box to become successful entrepreneurs, which he said was key to survival in the nation’s uncertain economic climate.

“The good news is that successful entrepreneurs think outside the box. The uncertainty makes them survive.

“Besides, an entrepreneur must add value to what he is doing,” he said.

Anwatu further advised the students not to be afraid of failure, even as he noted that the losses could be minimised for those with mentors.

“To succeed, you must also be prepared to take risks, work hard, have vision, knowledge and the desire to succeed,” he added.

Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Chief Patrick Chidolue, an expert in the hospitality, real estate and education sectors, advocated introduction of entrepreneurial studies in secondary school curriculum.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, described the theme of the event as germane in view of the nation’s economic realities.

Ahaneku, represented by the Acting Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, Prof. Philo Igbokwe, regretted that the organised public and private sectors were unable to absorb the prospective employees in the labour market.

He said, “To effectively tackle the attendant youth unemployment, self employment becomes the desideratum.

“The corollary to this, is thus to equip the youths with the necessary tools: vocational and entrepreneurial, to gainfully engage in self-employment.”