A former Governor of Borno, Sen. Kashim Shettima, has urged the Federal Government to harness its resources and grow the nation’s economy.
Shettima made the appeal at the 2022 Maiden Annual General Conference of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) Alumni Association, in Abuja on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the event was: “Alumni Association as Vehicle for National Development.”
Shetima in his remark explained that opportunities could only be created when resources are properly harnessed towards providing jobs for the populace.
“The most important thing for us as a nation is to unite and harness our resources and grow our economy. Opportunities abound when they are properly harnessed to provide jobs for millions of Nigerians,” he said.
He also added that alumni associations of tertiary institutions must be actively involved at various levels of molding of character and socio-economic.
He said that alumni associations play vital roles in building and uplifting the image of institutions.
Dr Mohammed Dikwa, founder of Al Ansar Foundation, a Non-Governmental Institution (NGO), did a presentation on the topic: “Entrepreneurship and SMEs as a Panacea to National Development”.
Dikwa explained that the main objective of the presentation was to show the significant effect of entrepreneurship towards economic prosperity and national development.
He explained how entrepreneurs could be instrumental to promoting domestic-led growth in new and existing industries, strengthening regional economic expansion in both developed and developing countries.
He however said some of the challenges facing entrepreneurship in Nigeria were lack of easy access to funding, inadequate documentation of business proposals and lack of appropriate and adequate collateral.
“High cost of administration and management of small loans, high interest rates, discrimination from banks, which are averse to the risk of lending to SMEs especially start-ups are also responsible.
” There is also competition arising from import tariffs, which at times favour imported finished products,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman, UNIMAID Alumni Association, Mr Baba Shettima-Kukawa, said the Entrepreneurship Development Centre recently launched by the association, as well as the UNIMAID Alumni Market Place was to promote entrepreneurial skills amongst its members.
He added that various engagements centered on building partnerships between the association and some government agencies were ongoing, while calling support for UNIMAID as it it currently facing some difficulties, worsened by insurgency and COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, Vice-Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, who was represented by Prof. Mohammed Musa, Coordinator, Alumni Affairs, said that the University had always been supportive of all its alumni chapters across the country.
Shugaba also commended the chapters within and outside the country for making the institution proud.
Highlight of the event was the launch of the association’s Entrepreneurship Development Centre and a Secretariat for the UNIMAID Alumni, FCT Chapter and the marking the day with the market place exhibition.
