Creativity, innovation key drivers of entrepreneurship- Experts
Experts in education and training sector say creativity and innovation are key drivers of entrepreneurship in any country.
According to them, the development of any economy is tied to how much seriously creativity is taken, pointing out that countries with high levels of development and Human Development Indices (HDI) usually have high level of creativity and innovation.
They stress the importance of funding education and creativity to help budding entrepreneurs make meaningful impacts on the economy.
“The growth of a country depends on collective developments of her citizenry,” said Olatunde Adetolu Isaac, president, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Lagos branch, at the Excellence in Education Award held by the Education Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos.
“The developments of the citizens lie in their entrepreneurial activities. The survival and sustainability of entrepreneurship depends on creativity and innovation. Therefore, if our children and the youths are the drivers of the country’s economy, then the earlier those in the education sector develop the curricula and teaching techniques to suit them, the better,” Isaac said.
He said it is sad that many entrepreneurs fail in their businesses shortly after taking off, not principally because of lack of funds or patronage, but due to lack of creativity and innovation to drive such outfits.
He defined creativity as the ability to bring new ideas into existence through imaginative skill by combining, changing or re-applying existing ideas.
Also speaking, Nike Akande, president of LCCI, said one of the most suitable ways to grow an economy is to invest in human capital development.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The HDI was created to emphasise that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth alone, the UNDP says. Key parameters used for HDI assessment are health, education and income. Nigeria currently ranks 152 out of 188 countries in global HDI.
“Many leading economies today have no natural resources endowment, but they have quality human capital. This underlines the fact that it is people that make things happen,” Akande said.
At the event, exceptional individuals and institutions were given different categories of award.
Adekande Murayo Abiola was awarded as the oldest head teacher in Lagos, while John Adepeju was honoured as the oldest principal in the state.
Covenant University was awarded as the best private university in 2017 , while Imo was honoured as the most respected government committed to education.
“It is very expensive to invest in education. Government cannot do it alone. Let all the stakeholders in education put more efforts to ensure our educational system improves,” John Adepeju, winner of the oldest principal in the state, said.
ODINAKA ANUDU