No fewer than 200 students drawn from tertiary institutions across Ondo State have received business start-up kits under an empowerment initiative aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and reducing youth unemployment.
The programme, organised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC) Ondo Axis, in collaboration with the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, took place during the second edition of the “Students to CEO” Entrepreneurship Summit held in Akure.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Ondo State Students’ Potential for Economic Growth,” brought together students, government officials and youth development advocates to explore opportunities for self-reliance and business development among undergraduates.
Beneficiaries received a range of trade equipment, including industrial sewing machines, deep freezers, power generators and other business tools intended to support them in establishing and growing small-scale enterprises.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of NANS JCC Ondo Axis, Adekanye Adeboye, said the initiative was designed to challenge the long-held belief that academic qualifications alone guarantee success in today’s economy.
According to him, entrepreneurship remains a critical pathway for students to create wealth and contribute meaningfully to national development.
He explained that beneficiaries were selected from 10 tertiary institutions across the state, with 20 students chosen from each institution based on demonstrated competence and interest in areas such as fashion design, tailoring and technology-related ventures.
Adeboye urged the recipients to make productive use of the equipment, stressing that the empowerment programme was an opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods beyond the classroom.
Also speaking, NANS National President, Babatunde Akinteye, described the programme as part of the association’s broader efforts to promote entrepreneurship among Nigerian students.
He noted that previous editions had produced beneficiaries who successfully transformed their acquired skills into thriving businesses and employers of labour.
Akinteye called on government at all levels to intensify support for youth-focused empowerment programmes, noting that students constitute a significant percentage of Nigeria’s youthful population.
Chairman of the planning committee, Lemprioritizele, warned beneficiaries against selling the distributed items, revealing that a monitoring team had been established to ensure compliance and assess the impact of the initiative.
The organisers expressed confidence that future editions of the programme would expand its reach and provide more students with opportunities to become entrepreneurs and job creators.
