Osinbajo charged Nigerian university students on entrepreneurship and innovation


Nigeria’s vice president Yemi Osinbajo Tuesday charged Nigerian university students to work towards the fulfillment of their dreams through the vehicles of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chatting with the student innovators and enterpreneurs
Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo chatting with the student innovators and entrepreneurs

“The journey to the fulfillment of your dreams has started and you should take the opportunity available to you. The university is one of the most fertile grounds for the nurturing of talents. We are optimistic that Nigerian universities will play the role of incubators and accelerators of talents,” Osinbajo told a crowd of enthusiastic students at the Bayero University, in Kano.

He was speaking at the northwest regional pitching session for innovative and disruptive business ideas by university students as part of the Nigeria-wide 2018 Student Innovation Challenge (SIC) programme.

“In the past, Nigeria’s billionaires were traders and oil and gas tycoons, in the coming years; they are going to be techies. The Student Innovation Challenge offers a platform where innovative tech-driven ideas from Nigerian universities are identified and supported. I wish you, today’s innovators and tomorrow’s billionaires, the very best,” said Osinbajo to a rapturous applause.

The Student Innovation Challenge, which is the first platform for students of Nigerian universities and polytechnics to pitch their innovative ideas, learn the skills required to start and grow a successful business, is a Public Private Partnership between the Nigerian government, United Nations Development Programme, the Civic Innovation Lab, and Access Bank, amongst others.