The new Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria was yesterday warmly received at Lagos Business School by staff and students after weeks of anticipation.
Mr AR. Ghanashyam, the High Commissioner, has an M.Sc. in Physics and MBA in Finance and Business Policy. He has been a diplomat in Syria, Nepal, Belgium, Pakistan and the USA, and an Ambassador in Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, including Equatorial Guinea.
Making his timely visit with a delegation which included Ambassador Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam, Mr Anant and Mrs Rani Malik, Head, Lagos Office of the High Commission of India, he had an interactive session with the LBS Management and MBA students.
While speaking with the students on the current and future crises in the world, Ghanashyam highlighted the need for constant environmental impact analysis in their field. He buttressed his talk with relevant statistics, analysing the financial and food crises and their impact on Nigeria – with the conclusion that the problems could be checked and even exploited with a good foundation in Business Administration.
“I urge you all to be environmentally aware so as to tap into the numerous opportunities around you. Always try to identify opportunities amidst threats,” he advised, while drawing on his personal experiences to teach them object lessons in self-improvement and environmental awareness.
“With your LBS experience, you should aim not to be employees but employers. That’s what will ultimately move Nigeria forward,” he quipped.
A question-and-answer session followed, which bordered on the intercultural exchange between Nigeria and India, India’s current public perception and employment generation drive for Nigerians, among others.
Enase Okonedo, Dean, LBS, was on hand to present the institution’s branded gifts to the High Commissioner. She admitted learning a lot from his presentation, with a request that he stop by when next his busy schedule could permit.
“This has been a very pleasant experience,” said Ghanashyam after a guided tour of LBS conducted by the Management team. “I have an affinity with LBS because I have an MBA background myself. I never knew such a marvellous place exists in the heart of Lagos.”
