Banky W, Osei, others for Nexford Open Day on Saturday

Award-winning actor, singer and entrepreneur, Banky W; and the Founder, She Leads Africa, Afua Osei, are among the panellists for the 2019 Nexford University’s Open Day. Organisers of the Open Day, which will hold at Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Saturday, said on Thursday that the panellists would discuss critical job skills needed in workplaces and for entrepreneurs.

The panellists include the Founder of Business Lab Africa, Tricia Ikponmwonba; the Lead at Teach for Nigeria, Bunmi Adefisayo; and Mark Igbinedion from Get Qualified.

The others are Miss Olamidun Majekodunmi and Dr Robin Johnston from the Nexford University.

According to the organisers, Saturday’s Open Day is tailored towards addressing the needs of small businesses/startups.

A statement from the organising committee read, “The Open Day will give participants high-quality, affordable, dynamic enlightenment that prepares them for the global workplace.”

The Nigeria Country Director of Nexford University, Majekodunmi, signed the statement, which also stated that one of the reasons for hosting the Open Day was to curb youth unemployment through entrepreneurship.

It read, “NXU launches Lagos Open Day to curb youth unemployment. The goal is to empower and support the region’s entrepreneurs. In the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, more than one in eight of all 15- to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education, or training – Nexford Insights. The International Labour Organisation estimates that 75 million young people are unemployed.

“Estimates of underemployed youth could triple this number. This represents a huge pool of untapped talent and a source of social unrest if left unchecked. Local economies can’t meet rising job demands. To help with this, NXU equips learners with the skills they need to be globally competitive and tap into international economic opportunities.”

The statement also quoted Nexford’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fadl Al Tarzi, as saying, “With the rapid advancement of tech, skills are the only barrier between ambitious youths across the world and attractive economic opportunities. Our next-generation university focuses on this, precisely.”

Justifying its investment in curbing unemployment and aiding entrepreneurship, the university said, “The university surveyed Fortune 500 companies and analysed millions of job vacancies to create a curriculum focused on job skills. Nexford’s online learning model bridges the skills gap between graduates and employers.

“Students can choose from elective courses or specialise on hot topics such as Sustainability, Managing Hyperconnectivity and Doing Business Across the World – Nexford programs overview. Learners pay a flat-fee monthly tuition, similar to a phone or data bill.”

It added, “No long-term commitment or huge lump sum is needed. They pay the same monthly fee regardless of the number of courses or credits taken. The faster they go, the less they pay, which gives students an incentive to finish on time.”