First Bank Urges Private Sectors To Partner Varsities To Produce Employable Graduates

In a bid to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Dr Adesola Adeduntan has urged stakeholders in the private sector to partner universities in Nigeria to produce the type of graduates the country needed for economic growth and development.

Adeduntan gave the urge on Thursday while speaking at the second edition of the University of Ibadan and First Bank of Nigeria Plc career fair 2019 edition, held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

The event afforded various business organisations the opportunity to engage the exceptional talented final year students of the university.

This year’s edition themed: “The Entrepreneurial Mindset and the Future of Work,” featured series of activities like discussion on the entrepreneurial mindset and the future of work, meeting your financial needs with FBN lifestyle products, digital innovation and session on personal branding and marketing yourself.

Dr Adeduntan said economic growth and development of Nigeria through the development of manpower, was about solving problem, adding that it must be taken seriously by all the concerned stakeholders.

His words: “The gown-university has a role to play which is to impact knowledge. The industry also needs to partner with universities to ensure that we produce the type of graduates we require for economic growth and development.”

“And that is where we came in as the first bank, we have been in existence for 125 years; what we said is that we have been woven into fabric of the society. And we actually meant the word we are woven into the fabrics of the society, because, for us, it’s about keen with all relevant parties and with other private sectors to stimulate economic growth.”

“And for you to have economic growth, human capital is a key part of that. For us, what we’re doing today is contributing our quota to enhancing the quality of manpower that is available within the country.”

“Our plan is to replicate this model in other universities in other geo-political zones because we are a national icon, with 125 years of existence and we want to give something back to society. But for us, working with the university to enhance the quality of manpower that is available to the country is paramount in our business strategy, he added.

In his speech, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Idowu Olayinka, affirmed that: “It is obvious that certificate alone is no longer enough; the world of work requires skills such as creativity, critical thinking, complex problem-solving skill, entrepreneurial thinking and mindset, cognitive flexibility as well as the ability to work in a team, emotional intelligence and ability to participate in projects and tasks within a team setting.”

He assured that the institution has commenced “revamping curricula as well as providing opportunities for students to acquire the necessary soft skills towards gainful employment.”