The University of Lagos (UNILAG) recorded yet another developmental milestone by commissioning and officially opening its incubation and co-working hub tagged the BOI-UNILAG Incubation & Co-Working Hub.
The Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Professor Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe, FAS, in his address, affirmed that the commissioning of the hub was indeed an epoch-making feat as it is the actualisation of part of the UNILAG vision to ensure all UNILAG graduates have dual capabilities; one in entrepreneurship, innovation and problem solving and the other in their natural course of study.
He specially appreciated the Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, for supporting the University in actualising its dream of harnessing the potential of the Nigerian youth. This, he averred was done through BoI’s partnership with UNILAG in setting up the BOI-UNILAG Incubation and Co-Working Hub, as well as training facilitators and coaches of the hub (train the trainers programme) and provision of start-up grants successful entrepreneurs produced by the University.
He commended the drive of the Ag. Director, Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Centre (ESDC), UNILAG, Dr. Sunday A. Adebisi, and all that have worked tirelessly to see to the actualisation of the hub.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, BoI, Mr. Olukayode Pitan, acknowledged that traditional trainings are fast becoming a trend of the past, hence, BoI is venturing into entrepreneurial training for Nigerian youths to harness and maximise their potential. He commended UNILAG for taking the lead in incorporating this into the traditional educational curriculum and encouraged other universities to adopt such practice of developing the entrepreneurial skills of students.
Mr. Pitan confirmed that BoI resources had been well utilised after seeing the work that had been put into building the BOI-UNILAG Incubation and Co-Working Hub. For that, he specially commended Dr. Adebisi who was in charge of the project and encouraged the University as a whole to keep up the good work.
Dr. Adebisi, in his remarks, lauded BoI for the fulfilment of 2 out of the 3 promises they made to UNILAG; the first being to train the coaches for the programme, and the other was to sponsor the building of the Incubation and Co-Working Hub. Seeing as the hub is completed and open for function, Dr. Adebisi assured BoI that the University of Lagos is fully prepared to access the third promise, which is ₦250 million grant from the Bank to be offered to students as interest-free loans to set up their businesses.
