Maduka University Chancellor Urges Nigerian Universities to Embrace Practical Entrepreneurship Education

Samuel Maduka Onyishi, Founder and Chancellor of Maduka University, has strongly advocated for a reformation of Nigeria’s higher education system, urging universities across the country to adopt a more deliberate and practical approach to entrepreneurship education. 

He emphasized that the primary goal of tertiary education should shift from producing job seekers to cultivating innovative job creators who can drive economic growth and social development. 

Delivering the second Academic Lecture of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Onyishi highlighted the urgent need for universities to move beyond outdated teaching models rooted in theory and rote learning. 

According to him, the traditional “ivory tower” concept, where universities operate in isolation from real-world challenges, is no longer sustainable in today’s global knowledge economy. 

His lecture, titled “Entrepreneurship for Human Development and Economic Progression: A Call on Nigerian Universities,” served as a clarion call for institutional change. 

He noted that the monopoly universities once had over knowledge creation and dissemination has eroded with the rise of digital platforms, online learning, and global collaboration. 

In this new landscape, he argued, Nigerian universities must become centers of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. 

Onyishi stressed that practical entrepreneurial education—rooted in hands-on experience, mentorship, and real-world problem-solving—is essential for empowering students with the skills and mindset needed to launch and sustain successful ventures. 

He urged academic leaders and policymakers to integrate entrepreneurial thinking into all disciplines, not just business or economics. 

“In an era where knowledge is widely accessible and business environments change rapidly, our universities must lead in preparing students to innovate, adapt, and create jobs,” Onyishi said. 

“We need a generation of graduates who are not only employable but also capable of building enterprises that address the nation’s most pressing challenges.” 

He concluded by encouraging collaboration between universities, industry leaders, and government agencies to create supportive ecosystems for young entrepreneurs. 

Only then, he said, can Nigeria truly harness the potential of its youthful population and transition into a resilient, knowledge-driven economy.