Author Canvasses Entrepreneurship Skills for Nation Building

Funmi Ogundare

The Director of Straitgate Nursery and Primary School, Magodo, Lagos, and author of Leadership and Entrepreneurship Series (LESs) , Mr Dapo Ojedeji has stressed the need for the country to ensure that the youths imbibe the proper leadership and entrepreneurship skills, noting that this will assist in solving the emerging and future challenges.

Leadership he said entails ensuring a qualitative governance and entrepreneurship, and that both combined, would bring about economic viability.

Ojedeji made this known, weekend, during a pre-book launch of Leadership and Entrepreneurship Series (LESs) , in Lagos, designed to develop in every secondary school student an awareness of his or her leadership and entrepreneurship potentials, as well as assist the youths in building up of such essential qualities.

He said it has become imperative for youths in the country to take the mantle of leadership at the local, state and federal levels of government and corporate organisations, considering the fact that they are ICT-driven.

He however expressed concern that the country has not done enough to prepare the youths to take cognizance of leadership and entrepreneurship saying, “It is amazing what the world is doing with the transformation of young leaders to leaders and entrepreneurs. It is our committed attempt to move from the realm of discussion amd conferences to the point of action, to move from telling our children that they are leaders of tomorrow to actually preparing them to be leaders of tomorrow.”

Ojedeji recalled a summer camp held last year in Ogun State for secondary school students where he along with his co author of the book, Mrs. Ronke Faseru met a set of young adults who are willing to learn the skills that will help them take up the challenges of tomorrow, adding that this was what led to writing the book.

“Back to Lagos after the camp experience, Ronke shared with me the need for a textbook and curriculum for secondary school students in leadership and entrepreneurship. Unknown to her, her suggestions ignited a chord and passion which made me to marinate myself in the research of global activities on leadership and entrepreneurship at the secondary school level. The commitment is to deliver a curriculum with books, webpages and other resources that will meet global standard, ” he stressed.

The director said he had to meet with a team of leadership experts, educators, IT professionals to teach some aspects of the Nigerian constitution , adding that if the youths are going to be leaders of tomorrow, it is imperative that they know the basic contents of the constitution.

“The result is the Leader- ship and Entrepreneurship Series (LESs) which is aimed at preparing today’s young adults in our private and public secondary school all over the nation for an advantage in individual and group leadership responsibilities of our country in tomorrow’s competitive world.

Emphasising on the scope of the curriculum , he said, it will include five books relevant for the first five year levels in the junior and Secondary schools.

“These series have 17 chapters each, totally looking at 18 leadership characters and five qualities of successful entrepreneurs. At the end of each chapter is the highlight of a vital section or sub-section of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria with brief legal interpretation. Our belief is that a good knowledge of the constitution is imperative for anyone who wants to become a leader in the country.”

The co-author of the book, Mrs. Ronke Faseru said the team would work with the school and parents to ensure that the right leadership values and entrepreneurship skills are imbibed, adding, “Leadership and Entrepreneurship Series is about them practicing it and building entrepreneurs for the future. We dont have to wait for the teenagers to become adults before we act, but to build values within them right from the classroom.”