Dr Goodie Ibru, President, Nigeria-Russia Business Council, says the type of leadership Nigeria will have in the future depends on the way today’s youths are mentored and prepared for leadership position.

Ibru made the assertion while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 8th Convocation of Caleb University, Imota, Ikorodu, Lagos on Oct. 11.

According to him, this is because the youth are a very critical component of the society and their financial independence and socio-economic and political development could not be over-emphasised.

“To this end, youths must endeavour to combine knowledge-based acquisition and entrepreneurship to deliver the mandate of nation building.

“Youths must develop a passion for entrepreneurship so that they can be different from others and when others are seeking for employment, they are creating employment and wealth as well.

“My experience as an entrepreneur in the last five decades demonstrates that not only politics but also entrepreneurship is the act of possibility.

“Entrepreneurship is very often building something, sometimes empires out of nothing,” he said.

The business mogul also noted that Nigeria needed to create an environment for business and entrepreneurship to grow.

“This is the key to fighting poverty, creating wealth and growing the economy,’’ Ibru added.

Ibru commended the vision that motivated the establishment of Caleb University Business School, saying it would assist in training and equipping more entrepreneurs.

He expressed the hope that the school would take its rightful place in the production of high calibre entrepreneurs and business leaders Nigeria and Africa needed to redesign its economic landscape and bring the continent out of economic doldrums.

Earlier, during the conferment of award of honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degree in Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation by the university on him, Ibru said the award came as a surprise but that he was elated to receive it.

“To be receiving this honorific award in the company of erudite scholars of international renown and iconic status as Prof. Toyin Falola had added an inestimable value and profound meaning.

“We thank Caleb University for the highly prized award in recognition of our contributions to society and humanity in our various endeavours,” he said.

NAN reports that Prof. Ayandiji Aina, the University Vice-Chancellor had said the university sent off 478 graduates for the 2018 session as against the 409 last session.

Aina disclosed that a total of 399 students graduated from its degrees programmes and 79 from postgraduate studies.

“Twenty-three students made First Class, 200 students made Second Class Upper Division, 148 bagged Second Class Lower Division, 28 made Third Class from the undergraduate programmes, while eight students made distinction and 71 had pass in the postgraduate studies,” he said.

Aina named the best graduating students for the session as Miss Crystabel Nya of the Computer Science Department with a Cumulative Grade Point Aggregate (CGPA) of 4.81

He said that Mr Julius Adesina of Master of Science Accounting programme with a CGPA of 4.86 was the best graduated student for the postgraduate class of 2018. (NAN)