Nnamdi Azikiwe University Business School on Monday at the maiden international conference honoured four business moguls from Anambra State.

The awardees include Chairman/Managing Director of Innoson vehicle manufacturing company, Innocent Chukwuma; Chairman of Dozzy oil, Dr. Dan Chukwudozie; Dr.Ifeanyi Okoye, Managing Director, Juhel pharmaceutical limited; and Dr. Emeka Okwuosa, managing Director of Oil Services Group for their contributions towards the industrial growth in the country.

The categories of the award were Industrial Service Award to Innocent Chukwuma; Award for Philanthropic excellence to Okwuosa; Award of Entrepreneur per excellence to Chukwudozie, while Okoye was bestowed with award for health excellence.

Speaking at the event, the Director of UNIZIK Business School, Professor Austin Nonyelu explained that the genuity of the awardees stood them out as exemplary pacesetters in the strive for industrial Africa.

He called for the support of Nigerian entrepreneurs towards the growth of the new Business School, adding that the school will continually work to improve on its standards in business and leadership training to become a hub of excellence in management.

He said: “It is the vision of the school to galvanize the plethora of businesses and leadership talents that are readily available, reorient them towards becoming pragmatic solution providers, while taking a respectable position in the global sphere.

“Business Schools have become more relevant, given the state of affairs globally and locally, where the socio-political environment of business is becoming more intriguing and complex as businesses continue to face diverse problems that require the right mindset, knowledgeable faculty to act in unusual ways, as they deploy new theoretical models, strategies and best practices to transform these businesses and give them sustainable lease of life.”

“The relevance of a business school is premised on how it responded to prevailing issues.”

Nonyelu, however, regretted that the situation in Africa today was more worrisome and serious saying,

“Over the years, the confidence of Africa has been enmeshed in different economic and socio-political crises, including but not limited to widening inequality, widespread poverty, increasing banditry and criminality, widespread unemployment, decreasing productivity, collapsing companies and businesses, massive official corruption, macroeconomic instability, absence of essential commodities, dearth of manufacturing, and de-industrialisation of the continent.”

He observed that though many African countries have boosted growth, but the growth has neither transformed the continent nor translated into industrialisation.

He added: “Africa has continued to be a dumping ground of all kinds of imported goods.”

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