By Kehinde Oluwatayo

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Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Pastor Femi Agagu has expressed the determination of the present administration to support every available programme that will further equip and bring out the entrepreneurial potential and skills of  students of the state.

He gave the assurance yesterday while declaring open the year 2022 edition of Global Entrepreneurial Projects Exhibition and Awards.

The programme themed “More Than a Certificate” was organised for students of secondary schools in the state.

According to him, the occasion was geared towards reducing unemployment rate as well as creating enabling environment to stimulate potential and skills of the students, thus building their entrepreneurial mindset to be self-reliant after secondary school education.

Agagu emphasized that entrepreneurship is a catalyst for industrialisation and economic growth adding that technical progress alone cannot lead to progress until breakthroughs are put to economic use to create employment.

He said that the present administration  has also keyed into various entrepreneurship programmes such as Students on Ridges, Entrepreneurship Development Training, Cyber Money, Street to Skills among others.

Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Lola Amuda said  one of the ways of curbing social vices is through effective training of youths in acquiring entrepreneurship skills to get them meaningfully engaged.

She said Ondo state is on the right course of producing secondary school graduates with functional education which is an impetus for creative thinking and developing potential.

Coordinator, Global Entrepreneurship Network for Ondo State, Pastor Wale Akinyanmi called on schools to begin to think of going into commercial production of products.

Akinyanmi said products being exhibited by the students have proved that things are changing, stating that the mindset on white collar job must change.

He assured that his organisation will partner with the ministry to ensure that teachers are trained to be more entrepreneurial before the next edition of the programme so that there can be improvement on what the students are producing.

Awards were given to three schools with outstanding products.

Oloroke Grammar School, Oke Igbo took the first position, as it presented a mini charcoal production while FUTA Secondary School, Akure took the second position with the production of a smoothie, fascinators and hats.

Methodist High School, Okitipupa took the third position with the production of Adire fabrics.

Nineteen schools across the state presented different projects and were presented with certificates.