The Executive Vice Chairman, Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP), Dr. Tunji Olaopa, has urged private universities to contribute to the qualitative transformation of the country’s human capital development.
This, he said, would boost Nigeria’s productivity profile, and ultimately her development capacity.
He spoke as a guest lecturer at the maiden edition of the distinguished lecture series of the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social and Management Science, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.
The lecture was titled: “Caleb University at the frontier of entrepreneurial education for National Development.”
According to Olaopa, private universities have an opportunity, within the context of the debilities that many public universities face, to carve a niche in training, education, learning and intellection that will advance Nigeria’s development efforts in the twenty first century.
He said: “To be able to stand the test of time, they must answer the compelling national imperatives that undergird the paradigm rethinking that has given them current competitive advantage.
“And how successfully they drive the institution of entrepreneurial culture, resolve current skills disequilibrium at the root of youth unemployment, while at once driving innovation for technology propelled revolution, would define their future relevance and competitive advantage.”
Olaopa queried the roles and contributions of the university system in the country’s economic growth, national development.
“How have they contributed to the project of harnessing diversity for development and national development to mention a few?” he asked.
