Otunba Femi Okenla donates 350 million enterpreneur center to Olabisi Onabanjo University

The Director-General of Onitsha Business School, Prof. Olusegun Sogbesan, has delivered a scathing critique of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, warning that unless universities urgently adopt entrepreneurship and localised learning models, they risk becoming “factories of frustration.”

Speaking at the commissioning of the N350 million Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneurship Centre at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Sogbesan declared that the university system in Nigeria is “teaching young people in foreign tongues, but not in the language of enterprise.”

In a thought-provoking keynote titled The Role of Tertiary Institutions in Promoting Entrepreneurship in Nigeria, he urged universities to discard their obsession with degrees and certificates, and instead focus on nurturing creators, innovators, and job generators.

“We are not simply calling for a tweak in the curriculum,” he said. “We are calling for a redefinition of the very purpose of higher education in Nigeria.”

The professor outlined a six-pronged strategy for transformation, including: institutionalising entrepreneurship as a university-wide mission, building on-campus innovation hubs, redesigning curricula for practical outcomes, training facilitators, ensuring access to capital and mentorship, and integrating policy and accountability mechanisms.

“These strategies are not aspirational—they are achievable,” Sogbesan asserted. “They require leadership, alignment, and urgency.”

He argued that entrepreneurship must be rooted in indigenous languages and contextual realities.

“From the African apprenticeship model to the rise of tech startups, our curriculum must speak the language of our people—both literally and practically,” he said.

“If we continue to graduate students who can write exams but cannot write proposals… if our degrees do not produce value, then we are complicit in engineering their frustration and Nigeria’s stagnation,” he added, drawing loud applause.

Sogbesan warned that without a radical overhaul, Nigeria would continue to churn out certificate-holding job seekers who remain disconnected from economic relevance.

“No entrepreneurship, no development. Tertiary institutions must stop preparing students only to join the workforce and start preparing them to build the workforce.”

…Minister Backs Call for Entrepreneurial Shift

Representing the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, Lagos State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mr. Tolani Sule, described the new Centre as “a gateway to new thinking, new ventures, and new opportunities.”

“In a nation blessed with talent yet burdened by unemployment, our educational model must evolve. We must now produce job creators, not just job seekers,” Sule said.

He hailed the Olufemi Okenla Foundation for what he described as “a visionary investment in the youth of Nigeria” and aligned the Centre’s goals with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises youth empowerment and economic diversification.

“The Olufemi Okenla Entrepreneur Centre is a powerful addition to this national movement,” he said. “It is a space where ideas will be nurtured, businesses will be born, and the dreams of many young Nigerians will find wings.”

The donor, Otunba Olufemi Okenla, a distinguished alumnus and entrepreneur, shared an emotional account of how his experiences at OOU shaped his entrepreneurial spirit.

“This institution taught me to wear my thinking cap,” he said, recalling how a life-threatening spinal injury in his second year forced him to find creative means of survival—selling bread and screening films to fellow students.

Okenla revealed that the N350 million project was conceived when he turned 59,and will be delivered in three phases,including 50 million for equipping the centre and another 100 million to be set aside in a fixed deposit account for maintenance
“By September,the first batch of 20 students will be admitted-10 from the Ogun State Polytechnic of Health and Allied Sciences and another 10 from my church”” he announced
In a notable philantropic gesture,Okenla also pledged 20 million in seed capital for student -led startup,with 5 million to be awarded to each of the first four graduating cohorts.
“Let us ensure the next generation of Nigerian students graduates does not leave university with just a certificate in hand,but with business in motion,a product in development,or a vision already unfolding “he said
He also appreciated Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo of KICC,whom he credited for inspiring the project and expressed heartfelt appreciation to his wife of 36 years
“She has stood by me for over four decades and will now oversee the disbursement of the seed capital
This is not just a legacy ;it’s our life’s mission”he said
The Vice Chancellor,Professor Ayodeji Agboola thanked Otunba Femi Okenla for giving back to the institution and asked others to emulate his good gesture
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing council,O0U,Prof.Oluwatoyin Ashiru who happened to be femi Okenla’s uncle said he’s not surprised that femi is putting the family name on the global map because he has always been an inspiration in the family

The building was later declared opened by Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo