The Federal Ministry of Finance has disclosed that the Federal Government has trained students on entrepreneurship development in no fewer than 100 higher institutions across the country.
The ministry’s Assistant Director, Finance and Accounts, Mohammed Baba, stated this on Friday on the sidelines of a training session for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi.
According to him, the initiative was carried out under the Youth Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YOUWIN) programme of the ministry.
Baba noted that the training was a project of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, which recognised the need to catch the youth young to make them self-reliant without depending on government employment.
He said, “We have covered more than 100 tertiary institutions and with this initiative, the generation to come will be better. They have to have entrepreneurship skills to be able to fall back and grow as entrepreneurs and become employers of labour in the event of not getting a white-collar job.
“Plan A is to give theoretical knowledge, which is what we are doing now, and plan B is to give the practical aspect where the funding will come in the form of a grant to the entrepreneurship department, which will be shared among the most qualified entrepreneurs in schools.”
He further advised the students to make judicious use of the grants when disbursed, stressing that they are expected to become successful entrepreneurs and employers of labour who would strengthen the country’s economy.
Baba also encouraged the students to approach the Bank of Industry for loans to actualise their entrepreneurial ideas even before the federal government’s grant arrives.
On her part, a facilitator, Deborah Tatimi, explained that YOUWIN was designed to inspire, equip and encourage students to embrace entrepreneurship as a viable career option by providing them with the mindset, skills and tools required to build successful businesses.
She maintained that the programme would reduce overdependence on government jobs and foster a culture of self-reliance, innovation and employment generation.
Earlier, the Registrar of the polytechnic, Kasim Salihu, commended the federal government for selecting the institution for the training.
He urged students to pay keen attention to the lectures, stressing that entrepreneurship is key to national development.
Salihu added that while the institution had groomed its students theoretically in entrepreneurship, the federal government needed to provide grants to help them put their knowledge into practice.
On June 5, 2025, PUNCH Online reported that the Minister of Education, Dr Moruf Alausa, urged tertiary institutions across the country to commit to producing graduates who are not only employable but are also job creators.
He emphasised that graduates with entrepreneurial skills are critical to achieving national prosperity.
Alausa stated that although Nigeria, with a population of about 200 million, is blessed with many talented young men and women, the nation continues to battle high unemployment.
Source : PunchNewspapers
