With a cum laude and four distinctions, Business School Netherlands announced Saturday, September 17, the successful completion of their Executive MBA programme by 73 candidates from Nigeria. They received their certificates at a ceremony at The Hague, Netherlands.

A barrister, Mrs Oluwakemi Makun, led the class with a cum laude and the best dissertation.

Oluwakemi Makun graduated from Lagos State University, Ojo, in 2001 with Second Class (Upper) division in Law. She qualified as a lawyer after being called to the Nigeria Bar in 2003. She is an entrepreneur and presently the Principal of Allianz Solicitors, Abuja. She is a corporate and commercial legal practitioner. She is also a part-time business woman.

Lagos accounted for three of the distinctions while the Abuja Study Centre recorded the other two. The Abuja, Port Harcourt and Otta Study Centres accounted for 34 of the graduating class while Lagos contributed 39.

Business School Netherlands Nigeria CEO Lere Baale remarked that the school appreciated the increased enrolment in centres outside Lagos and the performance of students in those places.

Business School Netherlands, with multiple accreditations from Dutch, European and American authorities, offers the Executive Master in Business Administration deploying the Action Learning pedagogy. It has also introduced the Doctor of Business Administration programme with an initial enrolment of 10 senior executives.

Baale stated that the Action Learning Executive MBA of Business School Netherlands prioritises application of learning to solve real life problems in the workplaces of students rather than merely cramming theories or analysing cases.

Says the Abuja-based best graduating student, Mrs Kemi Makun: “I like the learning style of BSN – Action Learning. Practice makes perfect. It was perfect for me. I wanted an environment where I will meet people from diverse backgrounds and varied challenges. A place where participants could share their experiences and help one another treat their various problems. BSN perfectly fit into the picture. Besides, their marketing team was persistent in convincing me to join the programme.”

The school states: “At Business School Netherlands, we recognise the fact that the body of knowledge is growing exponentially. Even the most enthusiastic student is not going to fathom it all in a lifetime, let alone during a two-year course. That is why we look at the academic part of the MBA from a different point of view. We start with the problem, your problem, a relevant issue that your organisation needs to solve. Once identified, you will learn to critically evaluate the available knowledge in the respective field, weigh the alternatives and propose an appropriate solution.”

Mrs Makun says of the effect of the Action Learning programme: “I have tried to implement every single topic of my ALP. Ihave seen results in my business since then. My business has also transformed. I now have an office with staff working with me within the space of two years. The learning has changed my thinking positively, and I can confidently say that I have all that I need to compete in my industry. I will appreciate my employees more, spend money to make more money and treat my clients as kings.”

Business School Netherlands commenced in Nigeria in 2003. Student enrolment in Nigeria has grown to 1100 while about 400 students have graduated from its MBA programme.

Business School Netherlands is present in 15 countries and draws students from 41 countries.

•Photo shows Barrister (Mrs) Oluwakemi Makun.

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