The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Bowen University, Professor Tunde Lawal, has stated that the growing unemployment rate among Nigerian graduates is no longer a sign of educational failure, but rather a reflection of the nation’s universities increasingly producing functional graduate entrepreneurs.
He made this remark during the 2025 Entrepreneurship Week, an annual event organized by Bowen University to showcase student-led innovations, products, and services learned during their vocational training. The event also serves as a national trade fair, attracting accomplished entrepreneurs and alumni from across the country.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jonathan Babalola, Prof. Lawal emphasized the importance of creating avenues where students can engage directly with industry experts, explore business opportunities, and apply the knowledge gained through vocational studies in real-world settings.
“Graduate unemployment, paradoxically, highlights the growing impact of universities like Bowen that are equipping students with the skills to become employers rather than job seekers,” he said.
Bowen Leads in Entrepreneurial Education
Since the National Universities Commission (NUC) mandated the integration of entrepreneurship studies in 2014, Bowen University has been at the forefront of implementing innovative vocational and business development programs.
Associate Professor Olaosebikan Olusola, Coordinator of the Bowen Entrepreneurship Centre, emphasized the school’s leadership role in this movement:
“We are building a new generation of job creators. Many of our alumni are already running thriving businesses and returning to mentor current students.”
Success Stories from Alumni and Students
Abimbola Johnson, a graduate from the university’s third graduating set, praised the impact of Bowen’s entrepreneurial training on her career:
“What I learned at Bowen gave me the confidence and skills to launch my own business. The university’s entrepreneurial foundation is life-changing.”
Onyeka Alika, a business executive from Meristem Securities Limited, applauded Bowen’s efforts, describing the university as “a model for private institutions” in Nigeria when it comes to practical entrepreneurial education.
Current student Inioluwa Babalola, a 400-level Public Health undergraduate, also shared her experience:
“Even though I’m in the health sciences, Bowen has trained me in business skills that will help me be self-employed. Our education here is holistic — we’re trained to solve real-world problems and create value.”
Entrepreneurship as a Solution to Economic Challenges
Former student and owner of Florem Bakery, Oluwole Olubusayo, reinforced the idea that entrepreneurship is key to personal and national economic sustainability:
“Training is essential to success in any field. Bowen’s entrepreneurial education gave me the tools to build a successful business in the food and beverage industry.”
She also encouraged students to identify everyday problems and develop solutions, saying:
“People are always willing to pay for value. If you can solve a problem, you’ll never be jobless.”
A National Model for Entrepreneurial Transformation
Bowen University remains committed to its vision of developing future industrialists for the Nigerian economy. By blending academic excellence with practical vocational training, the university is producing a new generation of graduates who are innovators, employers, and industry leaders.
As the university continues to champion entrepreneurial education, its efforts serve as a model for other institutions across the nation seeking to address unemployment and foster sustainable economic growth.
“Bowen graduates are not waiting for jobs — they are creating them,” Prof. Lawal concluded.
