Building an Entrepreneurial Nigeria - Entrepreneurship Education and Policy - Shulammite Paul

                        Deji Ige

Deji Ige, an enthusiast, a passionate orator, artist and historian. As a spoken words expert he has excelled, placing himself before kings as the good books said. It is Deji’s strong belief that ‘Writers are the scribes, creatives the mirrors, all are watchdogs without which the watchtower of the society will be void of conscience and bereft of checks and balances’. Deji’s most cherished ‘Let there be light’ has resounded in the homes of millions and the ears of the dissents, calling on all to do the right thing, as kinds, leaders and youths.

Deji’s passion for motivating right behavior goes beyond spoken words. As an artist, he has also found expression for his passion through a fashion brand ‘Moremi Fashion Empire’.

As an entrepreneur, Deji knew that he needed to pursue the improvement of his skills and knowledge through various trainings and classroom learning. Entrepreneurship Education equips students with skills, competencies and ability to effect their passion. It increases a country’s ability to produce, increase its GDP, cut down job losses and unemployment. Entrepreneurship Education, its teaching and learning increases the number of entrepreneurs in a nation, it produces start-ups and increase the overall economic activities of a nation. Youths like Deji can be serial entrepreneurs, pursuing every passion they have with all earnestness and succeeding in all.

Entrepreneurial organizations also seek and pursue growth, they avoid stagnation, burnout and even failure as they relentlessly pursue opportunities. Konga reportedly came into Nigeria about a decade ago, it was the first to storm the Nigerian E-market space even before Jumia. 10 years down the line, Jumia is a household name but Konga sold out and even its online mall to Zinox a Tech firm which manufactures and distributes computers. Entrepreneurship increases the competitiveness of markets and pushes innovation  forward increasing growth potentials.

Developing economies such as Nigeria need entrepreneurship development. Entrepreneurship Development its teaching, learning and practice ensures that industrialization is organized and systematic. Developed Nations of China (1,439,323,776) and the US (331,002,651)  though very populous have been able to grow and sustain their economies by the relentless pursuit of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship opportunities. Nigeria can develop its entrepreneurship ecosystem, build an entrepreneurial society and increase the entrepreneurial capabilities of the Youth through policy and education.