THE Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (MCIU), Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has organised the 4th memorial lecture for late business icon and great African entrepreneur, Olorogun Michael Ibru who passed on four years ago.
The ceremony held at the University premises, the institution launched its Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre.
Pioneer Director of the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Mr. Peter Bamkole, who delivered keynote address at the event, advocated product/service innovation, process innovation and business model innovation as the three forms of innovation required to boost and grow businesses.
He added that it would also promote entrepreneurial skills amongst small business owners and young undergraduates in Nigeria.
“Wherever problems exist, entrepreneurs will scramble to provide multiple solutions leading to the creation of products, services and ultimately, ventures.
“Irrespective of the resources within their control, entrepreneurs will pursue such opportunity with a single-minded passion to deliver value to their target market.
“As long as the customer’s pain point is being relieved, the customer will continue to pay for such value until a superior value is being proposed either by the entrepreneur or a competitor,” Bamkole said.
Panelists – Prof Ibiyinka Fuwape, Dr. Muda Yusuf, Olayemi Anyanechi, Prof. Anthony Kila, Bismarck Rewane and Mr. Obaro Osah were of the view that the Nigerian educational policies should be woven around entrepreneurial skills to create jobs for the teeming young undergraduates at the end of their educational careers.
They described the late Otota of Agbarha-Otor kingdom, Olorogun Michael Ibru as a role model and mentor in business and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria.
The Michael and Cecilia Ibru Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship was established to cultivate the minds of trainees on the part of self-reliance and financial independence.
Courses offered at the centre are strategically designed to solve strategic social and economic problems ravaging our nation, especially that of unemployment.
Earlier, in an address, the Chairman of the occasion, Olorogun Moses Taiga who is also the Presidents-General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) worldwide, thanked the co-founder of the Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Dr. Mrs. Cecilia Ibru for sustaining the vision and passion of promoting the legacies her husband left behind by putting together such academic programmes as the annual memorial lecture.
Also, in his citation during the event, Mr. Goodie Ibru, a brother to the deceased, extolled the virtues and qualities of late Olorogun Ibru, which, according to the hotelier, endeared his late brother to the business world.
He also appreciated the untiring efforts of Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru for running with the vision of her late husband, even at the time of global economic crisis and the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was graced by dignitaries from across the globe, among whom were; Senator Ovie Omo Agege, Deputy President of the Senate, Air Chief Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff of the Nigerian Airforce, Mr Paul Jite Okoloko, CEO, Notore Chemical Industries Plc, Prof G. G Darah, among others.
