By Onuminya Yusuf, Sokoto
A technocrat and entrepreneur, Engr, Dr Umar Buba Bindir, has charged students of Sokoto State University to deploy innovation and creativity to lift the state and Nigeria out of poverty.
Speaking on Friday as guest lecturer at the university’s convocation, Dr Bindir faulted the tag of Sokoto as Nigeria’s poorest state, saying it does not reflect the state’s human and natural resource endowment.
He argued that the narrative of poverty would persist until students, researchers and policymakers move beyond certificates to building solutions that generate wealth and employment.
Bindir, a former Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, urged undergraduates to identify Sokoto’s comparative advantages through research and translate findings into viable enterprises.
He singled out agriculture as low-hanging fruit, challenging soil science students to study the state’s soil profile and recommend crops with the highest yield and market value.
According to him, universities remain the biggest drivers of modern economies, and Nigeria must emulate global models where research directly fuels growth.
Citing Cambridge University as an example, he said the institution contributes over £300 million annually to the UK economy — a figure he put at hundreds of trillions of naira.
“Cambridge University alone contributes more than £300 million to the economy of the country, equivalent to hundreds of trillions of naira,” Bindir stated, adding that Nigeria’s resource base far exceeds Britain’s.
He maintained that with proper harnessing of resources through research, innovation and entrepreneurship, Sokoto and Nigeria could redefine their economic trajectory.
On his part, Vice Chancellor of Sokoto State University, Prof Mohammed Bello Yerima, said the university is pivoting to entrepreneurship education to produce job and wealth creators.
Yerima disclosed that the university has forwarded new programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Entrepreneurship and Engineering to the National Universities Commission for verification and approval.
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