Oyetola advocates collective approach to tackle economic challenges through entrepreneurship.

Governor, State of Osun Mr Gboyega Oyetola has advocated collective approach  towards sensitizing the youths in the country to embrace entrepreneurship for the better future of the country

He said through this, an army of wealthy people will be created and it is the best direction to go to build a sustainable economic development as a nation.

Governor Oyetola made the appeal on Thursday in Ilesa at the 2nd Edition of Dr. Lawrence Omole Memorial Lecture Series with a  theme: “Ijesaland-The Milk, the Honey (Collective Approach)” organised by the
Ijesaland Foundation for Entrepreneurial& Leadership Development.

The lecture according to the organisers is aimed to draw on the wealth and expertise in our society in the areas of commerce and education and to be the catalyst for the continual industrial development in Ijesaland primarily to Osun State and Nigeria in general through research, mentoring, networking, training and value added solutions.

The Governor who was represented at the event by his Deputy Mr Benedict Alabi said embracing this kind of initiative will address unemployment, poverty and hunger.

Mr Oyetola who commended the initiative hinted that adopting this collective approach will put the ijesa people on the world map and serve as a model for other tribes to emulate.

He added that if this is done, Osun as a state will become a place flowing with milk and honey and be a model for others to follow.

Governor Oyetola used the occasion to pay tribute to the late Dr Lawrence Omole on whose honour the lecture was organised who he described as a distinguished and proud Ijesaman and Nigerian.

He said the deceased remains a model to ijesa and Nigeria youths who lived ahead of his time having embraced entrepreneurship at a time it was strange to the nation as the direction to go to build sustainable economic development.

"The Ijesaland Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development will do well to use the life and legacy of the late Dr. Omole to regularly sensitise youths to embrace entrepreneurship in a nation that is just embracing the initiative as a tool for addressing unemployment, poverty and hunger.

"The theme of this Lecture, “Ijesaland: The Milk, the Honey (Collective Approach)”, is a laudable attempt at taking the enterprising nature of the Ijesa people beyond peasantry or personal level to a coordinated corporate or ‘mechanised’ level to bring everybody in and create an army of wealthy people.

"Adopting this collective approach will also put the Ijesa people on the world map and serve as a model for other tribes to emulate. Indeed, if this is done, Osun will become a state flowing with milk and honey and be a model for others to follow.

"Let me say that I cannot wait to be the governor under whom this transformation will take place.

"If at the end of this Lecture you are able to make your people migrate from being peasant farmers to mechanised farmers, from small scale kolanut traders to large scale kolanut merchants, from ‘ewele’ mat sellers to distributors, from white collar job seekers to job creators, the purpose of this Lecture would have been achieved.

"But you must realise that you need a follow-up strategy to make this initiative functional and sustainable.  I therefore admonish you to come up with a workable approach to achieve this end so that you can lift Ijeasland and Nigeria from poverty to affluence"' Governor Oyetola concluded