Delta Governor, Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, on Saturday challenged graduates of tertiary institutions in the country to pursue entrepreneurship rather than relying solely in pursuit of white collar job.

The governor gave the charge at the 2nd Combined Convocation of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi Uku.

He observed that though the society and education prepared people for white or blue collar jobs, with the exploding population, digital economy and an opportune society driven by change.

He pointed out that entrepreneurship was the key to unlocking the doors of prosperity and personal fulfillment.

According to Okowa, the reality of today’s turbulent economy is that even the best graduates are likely to be without a job for relatively long periods of time after graduation; the solution to this problem lies in job creation through entrepreneurship.

“This is why, as a government, we have made entrepreneurship training the pivot of our educational policy and job creation programmes.

“In this new world characterised by dazzling speed and rapid change, graduates who excel are those whose best skill is thinking outside the box; be prepared to learn new things and acquire new skills.

“As I always say, graduation does not mean the end of learning; it just means you are now responsible for your own learning; so, invest time, energy and resources to acquire skills that will put you on the path of profitable entrepreneurship.

“Avail yourself of the wealth of online education available free of charge; in an economy on a growth curve, opportunities abound for new ideas and businesses.

“Pay attention to the needs of the society and find creative means to address those needs; money gravitates towards those who solve problems for others,” he said.

The governor congratulated the graduands and management of the institution, and recalled that “on assumption of office in 2015, I announced that I would only attend the convocation of any university or polytechnic if the certificates and transcripts of the graduates were ready for immediate collection.

“It gives me great pleasure that the certificates and transcripts of graduates from the 2013/2014 through to the 2018/2019 academic sessions are ready for distribution after this ceremony.”

He announced the grant of N50 million for the development of entrepreneurship units of the institution.

Okowa also announced the appointment of one of the graduands, Francis Osedume, as a Special Assistant to him, for the leadership role he played as one of the leaders of the students of the institution.

Earlier, Chairman of the Governing Council of the school, Dr Festus Okubor, had listed its achievements and thanked the governor for his administration's support for the growth of education in the state.

In her speech, Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Stella Chiemeke, said that 9, 359 Ordinary National Diplomas and 11, 574 Higher National Diplomas were conferred on graduands.

She added that 241 distinctions were recorded in the rersults, of which 96 were in OND and 145 in HND.

•PHOTO: Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (left); Council Chairman, Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Dr. Festus Okubor (right) and the Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare (2nd right), during the Ground Breaking of DSPG Guest House/ 2nd Combined Convocation of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.

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