The management of Lotus Bank Limited, on Monday in Lagos, announced automatic job offers to the overall best student of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH).
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Bank Limited, Mrs. Kafilat Araoye announced while delivering the institution’s 34th convocation lecture, which was held at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium of the college.
Besides, Mrs. Araoye also announced a N350,000 reward for the best female graduate, an opportunity for industrial attachment for students and a promise of an 18- passenger capacity bus for the college.
Mrs. Araoye, who delivered the 34th invocation lecture tagged: “Emergence of Successful Young Entrepreneurs in the Current Nigeria Economy-The Place of Integrity” said the bedrock of every robust national economy rests essentially on the Micro, Medium- and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs), saying they are the starting point of industrialisation and the engine room of every economy.
“They play a big role in the development of national economies because they create
job opportunities (for self and others).”
She urged the graduating students to see opportunities, possibilities and prospects, rather than challenges, saying they share in the tenacious pursuit of their vision, mission and business integrity as exemplified by Lotus Bank.
“It is the dream of most youths to land a well-paying white-collar job after the rigour of tertiary education. However, the reality of our economy today is that the jobs are quite a few.
“Perhaps, the most important positive influence of the Japa factor is that it has helped create some more openings given the
vacancies created by emigrating youths. Despite that, our tertiary institutions are fuelling the labour market at a rate much higher than the number of available jobs. Some not-so-positive forecasts have predicted scary
unemployment rate for the next years.”
Mrs. Araoye declared that the logical inference from the increasing rate of unemployment is that entrepreneurship, rather than white-collar jobs, is the solution for smart graduates, going forward.
She counselled aspiring entrepreneurs to consider starting
by learning, and transiting from intrapreneurship to entrepreneurship, saying it makes the journey easier.
She listed some possible entrepreneurial options that are attractive and require minimal capital to include Blogging, Vlogging, or Content Creation,
Cleaning, Courier services,
Digital Marketing, Entertainment and Art (Singing, Acting, Painting, Writing, etc).
Others, according to Araoye, Lotus Bank Limited, MD/CEO are Farming and Agric-Business (export-oriented activities, etc), Fashion and Beauty (Dressmaking, cosmetics, etc), Fintech (Payments gateways, etc), Tutoring (Home tutoring, remedial classes, etc), Interior decoration, IT-based Ventures (web design and development, app dvpt, etc), Photography and Videography,
Rentals, Solar Energy (Solar lamps, etc), Trading, Travel agency, and Waste Recycling, among others.
To the graduating students, Araoye said, “Wherever you go, remember that it is good to be great, but it is always greater to be good.
“Make the most of your life and career. Make responsible choices.
Love yourself and your work. Make the love visible through your work.
When you express your love through your work, desirable experiences are created, including higher productivity.
“Always be guided by the words of John Wooden, the great American coach: “True success is attained only through the satisfaction of knowing you did everything within the limits of your ability to become the very best that you are capable of being.”
She added, “I commit you into the hands of God for divine guidance and a successful future and congratulations!
The Rector, Engineer Obafemi Omokungbe lauded the guest lecturer for the thought-provoking lecture and benevolence to the college.
Chairman of the occasional d Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Egbewole (SAN) urged the students to be worthy ambassadors of the college and job creators.
The joint convocation for the graduating class of 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic sessions would witness the presentation of the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and the Higher National Diploma (HND) to 7,554 deserving graduates of the college found worthy in learning and character.
