Nigeria is set to establish Africa’s first Entrepreneurship University in Bama, Borno State, as stakeholders in the education sector voiced strong support during a public hearing in the Senate on Monday.
The hearing, organized by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, featured remarks from Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan (Borno Central), the bill’s sponsor. Senator Lawan emphasized that the specialized university aims to equip Nigerian youth with entrepreneurial skills, steering them away from the high demand for scarce white-collar jobs.
Senator Lawan, recently honored as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), highlighted concerning figures from a 2024 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey, which revealed Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024 from 5.0% in late 2023. Notably, male unemployment stood at 4.3% and female unemployment at 6.2%. He also referenced The Spectator Index, indicating Nigeria’s youth unemployment rate reached an alarming 53%, placing it second only to South Africa, which leads with a 61% rate.
He said these alarming statistics drive the urgent need for this specialised university focused on agriculture and entrepreneurship, preparing youth for self-reliance and reducing the nation’s reliance on white-collar employment.
Entrepreneurship education, as he explained, empowers individuals with broad competencies that yield both social and economic benefits. “This form of education aims to instill knowledge, skills, attitude, and motivation for entrepreneurial success across various fields, equipping students with the capacity to identify and maximize investment opportunities.”
Lawan noted that, in addition to agriculture, the proposed university’s emphasis on entrepreneurship covers a diverse range of experiences to help students envision, access, and transform opportunities across different sectors into viable business ventures. This approach, he argued, will enable graduates to establish and manage ventures that create jobs for themselves and others.
Despite the absence of Federal Ministry of Education officials, Senate Committee Chairman on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Muntari Mohammed Dandutse (Katsina South), expressed confidence that the absence was likely due to other official commitments and confirmed that no objections to the bill were raised.
Dr. Ibn Umar Kyari El-Kanemi, the Shehu of Bama, extended gratitude to stakeholders for their unprecedented support, pledging to provide a conducive environment for the university. Additionally, the Governor of Borno State, represented by Deputy Speaker Hon. Abdullahi Askira, affirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the institution if the bill is passed into law.
Senator Dandutse assured that the bill would be given swift consideration in the Senate, with support from Senate President Godswill Akpabio and anticipated assent from President Bola Tinubu, backed by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
