Over the past seven years since he ascended to the throne of his forebearers, the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, (CFR) has made it clear that he intends to bring an all-inclusive reign to the Oodua race and to promote unprecedented development in all facets of life, including human empowerment, business development, youth empowerment, agricultural development, infrastructural development, and promoting made-in-Nigeria products.
Recently, he launched a multi-million naira retail outlet, Ojaja More, in Ile-Ife and Osogbo, Osun State, with other outlets across the South-West currently under construction.
The Ooni has a passion for education and entrepreneurship, and on Tuesday, he revealed plans for the official commissioning of his citadel of learning, Ojaja University, Eyenkorin Ilorin, Kwara State, formerly Crown-Hill University. The news was shared by the monarch in Abuja via a post on his verified social media handles after securing full accreditation for the take-off courses of the institution from the National Universities Commission (NUC), aided by its substantial Vice Chancellor, Professor Jeleel Ojuade.
The Ooni has consistently challenged the status quo in Nigeria’s educational system, where graduates are churned out yearly but with little or no knowledge of entrepreneurship and basic skills to help them stay afloat as they move to the other face of life.
After a thorough accreditation exercise recently conducted by the nation’s University regulatory body, the Ooni avers that it has always been his dream to own a citadel of learning where scholars can be molded not only in learning but also in character and entrepreneurship to enable them to stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers outside the shores of Africa.
“Our students just do the normal routine every four years write their projects and they graduate. What solution are they creating to the many issues we have in the country, especially in health, technology, housing, and agriculture among others?” said the Ooni.
He added that Nigerian Universities just churn out millions of graduates yearly but don’t arm them with the necessary skills and support they need. In China and the United States of America, students build most of the applications used today. Facebook, Instagram, and the likes were built by students, but today, they are making billions of dollars from them. The education curriculum should teach students how to analyze situations and bring pragmatic solutions via proper research.
The Ooni further added that “imagine a university where student graduates and there is a business grant waiting for those who are willing to delve into entrepreneurship. The grants are made readily available to help establish what they have learned in school. We can’t keep churning out graduates without providing how they should be utilized. If not, we would continue to witness the current brain drain and the massive exodus of our best hand to foreign countries. Ojaja University will be structured in a way whereby students will be given a free hand to explore and settle for what they wish to become with our solid support. They will be trained to be problem solvers and critical thinkers with a burning entrepreneurial mindset. The university is driven strictly by innovation and ideas. We will celebrate more innovative minds than academic excellence.”
The Ooni also disclosed that admission into various degree programs would soon commence with an easy payment plan for students. He stated that what they are bringing on board in terms of academic reform is different from what is currently out there. Their graduates and products will not be half-baked. They will be well-trained to meet the teeming demands of a modern technological-driven society like Nigeria. They will be the change-makers who are ready to proffer solutions to
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