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Nigeria must urgently dismantle decades-old structural and mental barriers that have trapped it in an “entrepreneurship wilderness” and stunted its economic independence, a Professor of Business Administration, Prof. Patrick Stephen Ohikhena, has declared.
Delivering the 3rd Inaugural Lecture of Wellspring University, Benin, on Thursday, Ohikhena warned that Nigeria’s dependence on oil and foreign systems has left it a vulnerable, consumption-driven economy, stressing that only a decisive shift to innovation and production can secure its future.
The lecture, titled “From Nigeria’s Entrepreneurship Wilderness to Wealth: Overcoming the Five Key Retardation Forces,” identified five major forces hindering Nigeria’s progress.
He identified the five forces as pre-colonial leadership and comprador legacy, colonialism and its enduring predators, successive government failures, a “suffering and smiling” mindset, and the emerging neo-colonial digital age.
According to the don, Nigeria’s over-reliance on crude oil entrenched a monoculture economy, weakening local enterprise, and urged a decisive shift to a diversified, production.
He stressed that the country must decisively move away from this dependence and embrace a diversified, production-driven economic model.
Ohikhena challenged the long-standing narrative that Africa lacks entrepreneurial capacity, arguing that pre-colonial Nigeria thrived on robust indigenous enterprise and wealth creation systems before the distortions of colonialism.
He maintained that colonialism, and its modern digital extensions, granted political independence without economic freedom, leaving Nigeria dependent on foreign technologies, ideas and consumption patterns.
The professor further blamed successive government policy failures, corruption, weak educational systems and poor infrastructure for deepening the crisis, noting that the “Japa syndrome” and the rise of fraudulent ventures reflect a dangerous erosion of productive values.
Describing the Nigerian mindset as a critical barrier, he said the culture of “sit down and watch” and “suffering and smiling” has normalized underperformance and discouraged innovation.
Ohikhena also warned that the neo-colonial digital age, driven by artificial intelligence and robotics, risks further marginalizing Nigeria if urgent steps are not taken to reposition its economy and workforce.
He called for a comprehensive reorientation of national values, stressing that entrepreneurship must be seen as a deliberate process of creating value through innovation and productivity.
Among his policy recommendations were the emergence of committed and visionary leadership, a review of academic curricula to produce job creators, and the strengthening of small and medium enterprises through access to affordable funding.
He advocated the adoption of indigenous systems such as the Igbo apprenticeship model, expansion of girl-child and Almajiri education, and the bridging of the gap between university and polytechnic training.
The don also urged Nigeria to reduce dependence on foreign direct investment, promote local content, prioritize power supply, and encourage the consumption of locally made goods.
He emphasized the need for stronger regional integration, improved security, and strategic investments in sectors such as mining, energy and indigenous medicine.
Ohikhena further called for a renewed partnership between academia and industry, describing it as critical in navigating the digital revolution and fostering homegrown innovation.
In his final charge, the professor urged Nigerians and their leaders to collectively reject the forces that have hindered entrepreneurship and adopt a unified national policy focused on production and self-reliance.
He said such a policy must transcend political interests and be embraced as a national ethos capable of transforming Nigeria into a truly independent and sovereign nation.
“It is time,” he declared, “for Nigeria to move from being a dependent consumer of goods and services to a bold producer, driven by innovation, research and indigenous technology.”
The Vice Chancellor of Wellspring University, Prof. Isaac Rotimi, commended the lecture, describing it as timely and intellectually enriching, while reiterating the institution’s commitment to advancing knowledge that addresses national challenges.
