The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, University of Ibadan, Professor Juwon Arotiba, has said the future of education must go beyond the classroom and equip learners with the capacity to identify problems, design solutions, and create value.

Professor Arotiba stated this in an address delivered on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, at the opening of a TETFund-sponsored Train-the-Trainer workshop, organised by the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) of the university.

The theme of the workshop was ‘Start-up Entrepreneurship and Business Planning,’ with participants including executive members of the Students’ Union, members of the students’ representative council, presidents of faculties, chairpersons of departments, hall chairpersons, and student entrepreneurs and innovators.

Professor Arotiba said the theme was timely, given an era defined by rapid technological change and global interconnectivity, and in which entrepreneurship has become the cornerstone of sustainable development, and a mindset that values creativity, resilience, and innovation.

He noted that by training trainers, impact is multiplied, and educators are empowered to inspire a generation of innovators capable of transforming Nigeria’s economy.

He added that opportunities today are increasingly digital, noting that from precision agriculture to fintech, from health innovation to creative industries, the digital economy offers limitless possibilities.

He stated that the challenge before the university is to ensure that its graduates are not merely consumers of technology but creators, capable of building enterprises that compete globally while addressing local needs.

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He, therefore, urged every participant to approach the workshop with curiosity and commitment, to learn, collaborate, and experiment.

He added that the skills they acquire would not only strengthen their ventures but also contribute to national development.

Professor Arotiba further stated that academics must continue to bridge the gap between theory and practice, between town and gown, to ensure that research and teaching translate into tangible societal progress.

He reaffirmed the university’s dedication to fostering entrepreneurship as a pillar of academic excellence, and nurturing a culture where innovation is not an exception but the norm, where every idea has the potential to become an enterprise, and where education truly empowers transformation.

He commended the CEI for its visionary leadership and TETFund for its unwavering support in advancing entrepreneurial education within the university.

The director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Professor Sherifat Aboaba, reiterated its commitment to promoting entrepreneurship education and cultivating an entrepreneurial culture within the university.

She stated that the workshop was carefully designed to prepare student leaders not only to understand the principles of entrepreneurship and business planning, but also to serve as peer educators, mentors, and ambassadors of entrepreneurship within their various faculties, departments, associations, and the wider student community.

To achieve the objectives of the one-day workshop, participants were engaged in interactive sessions covering the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, opportunity identification, creativity and innovation, business model development, business planning, financial literacy, marketing strategies, access to funding opportunities, and effective facilitation techniques.

The sessions, designed to provide both theoretical understanding and practical tools that participants could immediately apply, were facilitated by CEO, Soupah Limited, Understanding Start-up Entrepreneurship and the Ecosystem, Ms Ifeoluwa Olatayo; Prudencia Resources Limited – Start-up Financing and Business Planning, Mr Abayomi Ogunsanya; Dean of Students, UI – Emotional Intelligence for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Start-up Success, Professor Ademola Lewis and CEI Facilitator, Seasoned Entrepreneur Educator – Nurturing the Next Generation of UI’s Innovators and Entrepreneurs Mrs Olubukola Yomi-Akinola

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Professor Simisola Akintola; a Digital Finance Data Specialist at the Sanofi Innovation Hub, Budapest, Hungary, Dr Ibrahim Hammed and president of the UI Students’ Union Mr Temidayo Sewanu Adeboye.