Prof. Lateef Sanni, former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) says innovation and value addition are ways youths can create employment opportunities for themselves.
Sanni stated this on Friday at a lecture he delivered at the 3rd Matriculation ceremony of the Precious Cornerstone University, (PCU) in Ibadan.
According to him, it has been on record that emerging economies are driven by the energies of youths hence youth employment has therefore been adopted as a development tool.
“The role of youth as a catalyst and engine of growth, as well as the primary source of opportunities for productive employment has widely been recognised.
“Over the past decades, the Nigerian economy has grown at an average of seven per cent every year, in spite of being an oil based economy,” Sanni said.
He, however, encouraged the matriculants on innovation and value addition, noting that the agricultural sector employs 60 per cent of the population which comprises 40 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Sanni, who is also the Project Manager Basic II, IITA, highlighted how agricultural reform can help tackle Nigeria’s big issues which include unemployment, post-harvest losses, rapid urbanization among others.
Speaking, the Vice Chancellor, PCU, Prof Kola Oloke, said that in spite of the challenges brought by COVID-19, the institution recorded notable achievements among which was strategic visit and collaboration with Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria.
Others were collaboration with the Oyo State government through execution of four research proposals, multidisciplinary research based interviews hosted by the University of Lincoln on Higher Education in Nigeria.
Also, appointment of directors, Centre for Software Engineering, Data Mining and Robotics and Centre of Technological Advancement and International Collaboration.
Oloke appealed to the newly admitted students not to see freedom from the control of their parents as an excuse to engage in vices but as an opportunity to imbibe skills that would be of use to God and humanity.
“Learn how to obey university rules and regulations. Also avail yourselves the unquantifiable anointing of the Holy Spirit’ available in our campus.
“As a Christian faith-based university, we are well positioned to not only train you to be highly competent professionals but also to assist you to be spiritually sensitive,” Oloke said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 83 students were admitted into different programmes of the PCU’s two faculties which are the Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Social and Management Sciences.