The Students Union President of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Comrade Michael Oloyede has decried lack of leadership and entrepreneurial skills among student Leaders.

Speaking at the Southwest Leadership and Entrepreneurial Summit (SWLS) held at the Professor Oluwafemi  Balogun Ceremonial Building with the Theme “Optimum Representation and The Role of Student Leaders in Nation Building: Challenges, Opportunities and Prospects”, the SUG President who also doubles as the Convener of the Summit disclosed that the present state of the country has negatively affected the psychology of youths who are future leaders, stressing that this has also affected their quality of representation in different strata of the nation.

According to him, “Overtime, it has been observed that Student Union Leaders, who by extension become leaders at several strata of public and private sectors of the nation have little or virtually no understanding of the rudiments of an ideal leadership setup, its ethics and dispensation, and are not well-equipped ideologically and technocratically in the area of service delivery as leaders”.

“Majority have also been faced with the problem of having little managerial and entrepreneurial acumen which most times render them to deep suffering, thereby causing them to move from pillar to post after graduation before getting their hands laid on something, and this has contributed largely to the unemployment rate in the country and other social problems we are currently faced with “, he added.

Comrade Oloyede emphasized the need to create an avenue for  essential leadership and entrepreneurial skills to be impacted into the future leaders of this country, stating that Nigeria needs future leaders who will be able to put the country on the global map as a developed country. 

While speaking on the aim of the Summit, the Convener disclosed that the Southwest Leadership and Entrepreneurship Summit was organized out of a great passion to contribute to humanity and to the development and growth of the society, stressing that it is their desire to have versatile and knowledgeable leaders with the requisite skills set that will drive the development of the country in areas of Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

He identified the objectives of the Programme to include : impacting global leadership skills that drives the Nation’s growth and development, enhancing the mental health of youth and equipping them on what leadership entails, establishing entrepreneurship, enhancing human capacity development and resource management skills in student leaders, exposing student leaders to tools and platforms that are essential for participatory and effective leadership, and increasing the sensitivity of student leaders to their role in community development and Nation building.

Comrade Oloyede further stated that the program is targeted at changing the leadership orientation of over 60 Tertiary Institutions in South West, Nigeria which is also aimed at producing over 2000 students that are qualified and competent to lead the country and drive global developmental growth, equipped with knowledge and tools of modern day leadership and entrepreneurship capabilities.

He however appreciated the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako for his support, describing him as the most student-friendly Vice Chancellor.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, while declaring the Summit open, assured the students of his continued support, and wished them the best.

In his Goodwill Message, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, represented by the Baamowe of Egbaland, Prof. Ajao Adelakun commended the student leaders for organising the Leadership Summit at a time when the country is faced with various challenges, stating that the Summit is appropriate to expose people to the rudiments of leadership.

He noted that leaders can be trained, made and nurtured, and encouraged them to see themselves as stakeholders in the project Nigeria, stressing that they are the future of the nation.

According to him, “We are all stakeholders in the project Nigeria. The challenges we are faced with today is not just for the leaders to solve but you as the future and leaders of tomorrow must also play your part”.

The Summit had various participants from different higher institutions in the Southwest Region of the country.