Stakeholders Laud AUSSO Academy, Seek Participation of Business Leaders in Politics

Emma Okonji

Stakeholders in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector have commended the establishment of AUSSO Academy, describing it as one academy that will provide the right entrepreneurial skills for businesses in Nigeria.

They also used the occasion of the launch of the academy to woo businessmen and women into politics, insisting that their active participation in politics will redirect the Nigerian economy on the right path of growth sustainability.

Specifically, a former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe called on business owners to consider full participation in politics, since it is the pathway to elect credible leadership in the country.

According to Ndukwe, “Active participation in the political environment of the country guarantees the requisite skills to critically assess the kind of leadership style that Nigerians truly needed to advance the Nigerian economy. We cannot remain outside the political circle to redirect the affairs of the country, we can only achieve this when we fully participate in politics, and the time is now to combine politics with business in order to make a positive difference in our county Nigeria.”

He explained that identifying political leaders on the basis of leadership skills is an epitome of the transformation that took place in China, insisting that in Nigeria, it is not impossible to achieve same with the right education and calibre of businesses owners operating in the country.

He however advised that the Academy should not limit itself to the mentoring entrepreneurs alone, but should also be extended to politicians that need business sense to govern the country in the right direction.
Another stakeholder, who also is the Founder, Zinox Technologies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, said good legacies should be built as opposed to having the status of a billionaire without any societal impact.

He stated that what is important in the Academy is the structure and process.
The Founder of AUSSO Academy, Mr. Austin Okere said his source of inspiration towards establishing the Academy was borne out of the desire to give entrepreneurs the advice for business growth, adding that if he had such opportunity in the past, he would not have made the mistakes he made during his entrepreneurial journey.

He added that mentorship and oversight function also propelled his interest towards the establishment of the Academy.
“There are so many investors within and outside the country but the challenge is that no investor wants to give his money to someone who does not know what, how and in what measure towards business plan in terms of liquidity event, where the investor will get his money back whether it is in the form of Initial Public Offer (IPO) or Listing.

In his welcome address at the well attended unveiling of the Academy located in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; Okere averred that the idea to establish the Academy, was in line with his quest to give back to the society and to retrain already top flight entrepreneurs who are on the speed lane of their businesses to achieve more and inspire more in business development.

Furthermore, Okere, who is also the founder of CWG Plc, said: “The need for resourcefulness and an innovative mindset to reinvent oneself when disruption knocks on the door is a key skill every business need to survive the present market realities. The huge gap in the business ecosystem is due to the lack of a personalised mentorship programme to complement what professors teach at the business schools”.

In her remarks, a Director at the Lagos Business School, Ms. Olamide Ibitoye congratulated the founder for his vision and charged him to remain focused in his drive to change the weak mentality of Nigerian business leaders to positivity and greater business development and management success.

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