Students in secondary schools and other academic institutions need to embrace entrepreneurship instead of concentrating all their hopes on getting white-collar jobs when they complete their education.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola stated this in Abeokuta while delivering a lecture titled, "Building The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs" during the First Anniversary and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Ogun State Students Entrepreneurs Activities Hubs (SEA Hubs) organised by the Bureau of Job Creation and Youth Empowerment in collaboration with the Ogun State Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA), the Ijebu-Ode Business School and the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ).

Aikulola noted that students need to venture into entrepreneurship by identifying and solving problems around them profitably adding that doing so would enable them to be gainfully employed as well as avoid the stress of seeking for white-collar jobs especially at this time when the employment market has become saturated.

He pointed out that problems existing in the country are opportunities which should be well harnessed stating that students going into entrepreneurship must make integrity their watch word and develop skills which would help their entrepreneurial drive.

Aikulola who expressed dissatisfaction with unskilled young Nigerians joining the "Japa" bandwagon by travelling abroad said entrepreneurs with the right skills would attract more value anywhere in the world adding that young entrepreneurs also need to identify competitive advantages which may include internationally competitive prices and effective branding among others to distinguish their product or service from those of competitors.

" If you are not slothful , if you are proactive you can make money without doing "Yahoo" or advance fee fraud. There is money in skills. Any entrepreneur who has the right skills will command the right value." Aikulola stated.

In his address, President, OGUNCCIMA, Engr. Mike Akingbade who commended the members of the SEAHubs for starting their businesses at a young age promised to allot stands to the young entrepreneurs to showcase their products during the forthcoming 2024 Gateway International Trade Fair which is billed for February, 2024.

Also speaking, President, Students Entrepreneurship Activities Alumni Network, Miss Grace Ojelade said the network comprises of secondary school students involved in various entrepreneurial ventures across the State emphasizing that the members are encouraged to embrace entrepreneurship at an early stage and desist from over-reliance on getting white-collar jobs.