FUTA: Encouraging female students enrolment with innovative centre

THE Federal University of Technology, Akure, has inaugurated a centre, which is aimed at encouraging more female applicants to develop interest in the core science and technology courses.

Prof Adebisi Balogun, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, noted with concern on Wednesday that the current population of the students, where only 25 per cent are females, was not the best for the institution.

He said the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Gender Issues in Science and Technology would ensure that graduates of the university could boast of one vocational skill or the other at the end of their programme.

Specifically, the VC explained that centre was established, to among others, promote gender equity and entrepreneurship in science and technology.

He said the centre would identify related problems in entrepreneurship development and provide the intellectual platform and acquisition or necessary skills to address such challenges.

The chairman, House Committee on Diaspora in the National Assembly, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, and the wife of Ondo State governor, Mrs. Olukemi Mimiko, identified the non-exposure of women to necessary technical skills as the cause of their poor involvement in entrepreneurship.

They insisted that women development and empowerment remained the only panacea to the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria because it was the only way through which young people, especially women, could escape poverty.

Dabiri-Erewa noted with concern that many factors were limiting the opportunities of Nigerian women to access information and required skills that could make them self dependent and employers of labour.

She explained that many women did not possess technical skills that could assist them to be relevant in the current technological changes and the globalisation of production.

She commended the authorities of FUTA for establishing CEGIST because the centre would help a great deal in championing the cause of women entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

The lawmaker urged the centre to design curriculum that would equip female undergraduates with necessary skills that could make them self reliant even before they graduate.

She charged other institutions of higher learning in the country to emulate FUTA by establishing centres that could promote the worthy cause of woman empowerment and self-reliance.

Mrs. Mimiko noted that youth unemployment in Nigeria had reached an alarming proportion because of the high level of rural-urban migration, worsening economic conditions, increased population growth, near collapse of the financial sector, and sharp drop in quality of education, to mention a few.

She said, ”Although the government has its role to play in ensuring a safe and conducive environment for home grown business enterprises and small/medium scale business to thrive, the total reliance on white collar jobs should be discouraged.

”Entrepreneurship amongst female undergraduates, graduates and youths should not only be encouraged, but inculcated in the curriculum of universities in the country.

”It is with this strong conviction and belief that I salute and congratulate CEGIST FUTA for taking the bold step at ensuring a better tomorrow for our country.”

She pointed out that CEGIST aimed to develop entrepreneurship competencies among students and young professionals, using FUTA as a frontier, the initiative creates income generating projects for the institution saying that it would also catalyse the establishment of small-scale technology based enterprises in our society.

”Let me state that I am confident that this initiative is not only worthwhile, but inspiring and the government of Ondo State aligns with this life impacting goal, hence the resolve of my office to support you all the way,” she added.

Source: The Punch Newspapers