Osun First Lady, UNIOSUN Vice-Chancellor Charge Students To Embrace Entrepreneurship, Innovation

The First Lady of Osun State, Chief Mrs. Titilola Adeleke, has urged students of Osun State University (UNIOSUN) to embrace entrepreneurship and innovation, encouraging them to begin developing business ideas while still in school rather than waiting until after graduation.

She gave the charge on Wednesday while declaring open the 2025/2026 Entrepreneurship Studies and Innovation Training Programme organised by the university’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies and Innovation at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium, Main Campus, Osogbo.

Speaking as the Entrepreneurship Mother of the Day, Mrs. Adeleke stressed the importance of transforming innovative ideas into viable business enterprises, noting that every successful business begins with an idea.

She encouraged students to see their years in the university as an opportunity not only to earn academic qualifications but also to acquire practical skills, discover their talents, and prepare for life after graduation.

“Your time in the university is not only for obtaining a degree. It is also a time to learn skills, discover your talents and prepare for your future. Do not wait until after graduation before you start thinking about what you can do. Start now,” she said.

The First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to supporting initiatives that empower young people through education, entrepreneurship and skills development, describing youths as the future of Osun State. She also officially declared the 2025/2026 Entrepreneurship Studies and Innovation Training Programme open.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, said the institution remains committed to producing graduates who are capable of solving societal problems through innovation and entrepreneurship.

According to him, the university introduced entrepreneurship education from its inception, years before the Federal Government recently initiated plans to integrate entrepreneurship certification into university programmes across the country.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, two weeks ago, constituted a panel to introduce entrepreneurship certification into regular programmes in our universities. But even before then, this university has been doing this since its inception,” he said.

Professor Adebooye added that universities are established to produce thinkers and problem-solvers, not artisans alone.

“The university is not set up to produce only artisans. Universities all over the world are established to produce thinkers—people who can think and solve problems,” he stated.

He further disclosed that the university has established two processing plants—one for processing palm fruits into palm oil and another for processing cassava into garri—to provide students with practical entrepreneurial experience.

Encouraging students to maximise the opportunities provided by the programme, the Vice-Chancellor described them as innovators capable of shaping the future through knowledge and creativity.

“You are not just students. You are innovators. The power of knowledge changes the way people think. Tap into this opportunity.

“Develop a sense of the global vehicle of knowledge. The vehicle of knowledge is moving very fast, and those who have the zeal are aligning themselves with this global vehicle of knowledge,” he added.

Delivering the keynote lecture, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Computer, Information and Engineering, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Professor Engr. Dayo Sobowale, said entrepreneurship is driven primarily by mindset rather than technical skills.

Speaking on the theme, “Entrepreneurship Studies and Innovation: Transforming Students’ Ideas into Business Enterprises,” Sobowale identified the brain, the mind and personality as the three essential elements of idea generation, warning that failure to utilise one’s intellectual capacity would hinder innovation.

He distinguished entrepreneurship from skill acquisition, explaining that while vocational skills are valuable, entrepreneurship involves creating sustainable ventures capable of generating profit.

“Entrepreneurship is about generating profit through ideas, and it is different from skill acquisition such as making bags, styling hair or making shoes. Skill acquisition alone is not entrepreneurship,” he said.

He advised students to cultivate the habit of deep thinking during the ideation process, pursue their passions, identify mentors, discover their niche, focus on solving societal problems and begin their entrepreneurial journeys on a modest scale.

Sobowale also appealed to the university management to establish an Ideation Hub to further nurture innovation among students.

The event featured the presentation of Awards of Honour by the Vice-Chancellor to the Chief Executive Officer of Electrical Machinery Company Limited, Engr. Abiola Abe, and the First Lady of Osun State, Chief Mrs. Titilola Adeleke, who were recognised as the Entrepreneurship Father and Mother of the Day for their contributions to youth development.

Outstanding students from various colleges of the university were also presented with certificates under the Entrepreneurship Scheme, while the Chief Executive Officer of Riah Omnia Company, Mrs. Rofiat Afolabi Titilayo, received the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.