Entrepreneurship, ICT, AI, Skill Development’ll advance Nigeria – Dr Amoo
Urges FG, Govs, Wike, To Declare State Of Emergency On Education
Kehinde Akinpelu, Ilorin
Chairman Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ore Depot, Dr. Shina Amoo, has identified entrepreneurship, skill development, Information and Communication Technology and Artificial Intelligence as necessary tools to advance Nigeria.
He spoke in an interview with journalists on Wednesday after he bagged Ph.D in Business Administration during the convocation of the Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
The Ph.D holder said it is necessary to enhance the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and information communication technology in our educational institutions.
He, however, advised that the adoption of AI be in such a way that it does not make pupils and students lazy and mentally redundant.
Amoo, who also is Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Mania Petroleum Marketing Company Limited, urged the government and other education administrators to enhance the acquisition of skill development and entrepreneurship in the education system.
He noted that such would reduce graduate unemployment and rather make the graduate become self-reliant, job creators and even employers of labour.
The Ph.D holder also urged the federal government, 36 governors in Nigeria and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja, Nyesom Wike, to declare a state of emergency on education in Nigeria.
He called for deployment of pragmatic and proactive strategies to advance the education system so as to improve the quality of education in the country.
He also said that ‘Japa’ syndrome is inimical to national growth and individual development.
He advised Nigerians against immigrating to other countries in search of greener pastures. He decried that many people had fallen victims and languished in hardships and regrets after selling their possessions.
He urged Nigerians to tap into the opportunities that are available in the country.
“Japa” is a popular Yoruba slang term in Nigeria, which roughly translates to “to flee” or “to escape” in English. In recent times, it has gained widespread usage, particularly among young Nigerians, to describe the act of leaving the country, usually in search of better opportunities abroad.
The term “Japa” is often used in informal conversations, social media, and online forums, where people discuss their plans or experiences of relocating to other countries, often due to the challenging economic and social conditions in Nigeria. So, if someone says, “I’m planning to ‘Japa,” it means the person is planning to leave Nigeria for another country.
Amoo said he aspires to become an associate professor so that he would impact his knowledge on the students and help mould them to become useful citizens of the country.
He said: “Skills development and entrepreneurship are other key areas. Some of our children are willing to become business gurus while still in school. With skill development and entrepreneurship, a lot of them will be happy.
“Many of children do not want to apply to any company after graduation. They want to get the certificate and do business or some skills such as tailoring. I know of somebody who after graduation from a university opened a shop, sowing clothes and she is making her money. We give her a lot of referrals and she has many customers who are patronizing her. So she does not need to be employed. Infact she has become an employer of labour. Likewise entrepreneurship. Many graduates have gone into business and made it. Some of them prefer it to japa.
“We do not need Japa syndrome. Many of them that emigrated abroad are just dying there. Some of them are idle or not doing anything meaningful simply because what they expected was not what they got when they reached there.”
Amoo further said: “It is also important to improve on information and communication technology. A lot of things are going on in the area of artificial intelligence because
