Ex-NADDC boss challenges students to drive industrial revolution

Nigerian automotive designer and former NADDC director Jelani Aliyu has urged Ahmadu Bello University students to become bold innovators that can propel Nigeria's industrial revolution. While addressing the launch of the university's 'Create Before You Graduate' program, Aliyu called on the students to shift their focus from merely acquiring academic degrees to creating solutions, opportunities and societal value.

A former senior creative designer at General Motors in the United States, Aliyu emphasized that students should possess confidence, creativity and determination to help construct a society integral to global civilization. He urged them to act as fearless builders of magnificent empires and a society that becomes an essential part of human civilization.

Aliyu stressed that university education should equip young people with the skills to tackle real-life challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship. He highlighted that the 'Create Before You Graduate' program would enable students to uncover their talents, utilize their skills, and develop practical solutions to the issues faced by Nigerians.

The former NADDC boss criticized the nation's reliance on imported manufactured goods, pointing out that Nigeria's current 85% dependence on imports is unacceptable given its abundant natural and human resources. He lamented that such a dependence represents an enormous gap between the country's natural and human resources and the sophisticated products required for modern life.

Aliyu insisted that innovation must be spearheaded by Nigerians, warning against a country's ability to build a strong civilization relying heavily on consumption. He stressed that achieving such progress necessitates massive industrialization, innovative thinking, and an insatiable hunger and passion for futuristic advancements.