Peter Obi, former presidential candidate, has advocated for a shift in national focus toward celebrating hands-on apprenticeship and successful non-formally educated entrepreneurs.
He made the call in Lagos at the launch of a book titled ‘Just Go Further: Become the Total Entrepreneur’, authored by Ebele Obi.
Mr Obi said that the publication was a call to action for innovators, dreamers, and builders who refuse to stop at the starting line. He noted that the lack of support for practical successes such as apprenticeships was hindering the nation’s economic growth.
The former Anambra governor said Nigeria was not thriving because of limited support for apprenticeships and informal forms of entrepreneurship.
Mr Obi underscored the need for national policies that formally recognise, encourage, and leverage the wisdom of successful, non-formally educated business figures to drive mentorship and economic expansion.
Ms Obi said the book was not just another business manual but an urgent call to action for innovators ready to move beyond the start-up phase and build lasting legacies. She noted that the book would empower readers to embrace the courage, creativity, and consistency needed to navigate and thrive in an ever-changing economic landscape.
She said that building a business required deep personal commitment, adding that entrepreneurship is about mindset, courage, and consistency.
“This book encourages people not just to start, but to go further, to become total entrepreneurs who can thrive anywhere and build enduring businesses. Apprenticeship gives aspiring entrepreneurs a solid foundation; it is through guided experience and mentorship that we gain the confidence, wisdom, and grit to truly go further,’’ she said.
The author stressed that the book’s core theme was the power of guided experience and mentorship, reminding readers that foundational growth often begins with learning from those who have successfully paved the way.
She urged the education sector to incorporate financial education into the school curriculum and to encourage apprenticeships, which help grow economies, adding that, unfortunately, the practice was dying in Nigeria.
The author noted that apprenticeships had helped countries like the UK and Germany to thrive and had also empowered people.
According to her, an apprenticeship is a win-win case.
(NAN)
