Arulogun spoke during the 2026 Entrepreneurship Exhibition, which featured Sustainability Project 5.0 and Entrepreneurship Festival 4.0, held at the university in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The exhibition, themed “Developing Innovative Solutions and Practical Skills for Nigeria’s Sustainable Economy,” brought together students, lecturers, industry experts and other stakeholders to showcase projects designed to address social, environmental and economic challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.
According to the vice-chancellor, entrepreneurship goes beyond vocational training and should be regarded as a transformation of mindset aimed at creating value and solving problems.
“Our greatest asset as a country is our young people. They possess enormous potential and talents that can be harnessed to drive sustainable development,” she said.
She added, “We are helping them to build resilience and to understand that they can succeed and contribute meaningfully to national development without leaving the country.”
Arulogun explained that entrepreneurship should not be narrowly interpreted as the acquisition of technical skills such as tailoring, baking or hairdressing.
“When people talk about entrepreneurship, many mistake it for vocational training, but they are not the same thing. Entrepreneurship is about changing the way people think,” she said.
She stressed that the essence of entrepreneurship lies in value creation, noting that professional success is determined not merely by qualifications or technical competence but by the ability to satisfy people’s needs.
“It is that value that people are paying for. Not the certificate, not the skill, but the value. There are many tailors who are not finding patronage. Big shop, nobody is entering. Why would somebody—everybody want to see a particular medical doctor? It's because of a value that is being added, and that is all we are doing”she said.
The vice-chancellor also revealed that final-year students undergo entrepreneurship training that equips them with additional certification alongside their academic qualifications.
“By the time many of these students graduate, they will leave with two certificates — one in their chosen discipline and another in entrepreneurship,” she said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,the Director of General Studies, Dr. Lydia Chineyemba described the exhibition as a reflection of the institution’s commitment to practical and functional education.
She noted that the projects on display evolved from classroom discussions into practical products and services capable of addressing real-life challenges.
“The projects displayed today show that our students can contribute meaningfully to this process through skills acquired in various vocations - Adire making through Tie-and-bye Mechanism, Agricpreneurship, Al Literacy, Vibe Coding and Web App Development, Carpentry and Woodwork, Catering and Event Planning, Fashion Designing, Hat, Bag and Fascinator, Photography and Cinematography, and Wig Artistry”.
She encourage the students not to abandon the skills they have acquired through the courses adding that they should Keep improving in their products and develop their ideas.
“I encourage you not to abandon the skills you have acquired through these courses. Keep improving your products and develop your ideas. Pay close attention to quality, packaging, safety, record keeping, pricing, and customer needs. Protect your ideas where necessary, accept useful feedback, and promote your work honestly and professionally. Do not wait until every condition is perfect. Begin with the resources available to you and continue to improve”.
Also speaking at the event, the Acting Coordinator of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Leadership Development Studies (CELDS), Dr. Obaloluwa Oyewo, said the initiative was designed to expose students to the realities of entrepreneurship.
According to him, the programme encourages students to move beyond theoretical knowledge by developing practical and scalable solutions to pressing societal problems.
“Entrepreneurship is a way of thinking. It is the ability to identify problems where others see inconvenience, the courage to ask difficult questions and the creativity to transform ideas into value,” he said.
Oyewo explained that the sustainability project was created to expose students to the realities of innovation, including uncertainty, limited resources, teamwork and conflict management.
“You were experiencing entrepreneurship. Businesses do not fail only because of a lack of money, sometimes they fail because people are unable to communicate effectively or work together,” he told the students.
He encouraged the students to refine their ideas, seek mentorship opportunities, apply for grants and explore investment opportunities to transform their projects into successful enterprises.
