DG&GS
The Directorate of Entrepreneurship and General Studies聽(DE&GS), 水果派 of Nigeria (NOUN),聽in partnership聽with聽the聽Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria聽(YouWiN),聽have held a 1-day聽sensitisation聽programme for聽students聽of the university on entrepreneurship.
The DE&GS North-central聽Incubation聽Centre, situated at the Abuja Model Study聽Centre, Dutse Alhaji, hosted the programme聽on Wednesday, August 31,聽2022, which was聽sponsored by the聽Ministry of Finance.
It was aimed at聽giving聽leverage to NOUN students with聽entrepreneurial ideas and students聽who have been able to start up a business for themselves.
YouWiN, a department of the聽ministry, promotes聽entrepreneurship as a viable career option for young Nigerians,聽by聽giving聽grants to聽entrepreneurs to help them expand their businesses.
The host, who is also the North-central聽Incubation聽Centre coordinator, Dr. Basil Ibebunjo, expressed appreciation聽for the large turn out of the聽incubatees,聽enjoining聽them聽to be attentive in聽order to gain knowledge from the sensitisation聽programme.
On her part, the聽DE&GS聽Director, Prof. Juliet Inegbedion, gave her presentation via zoom,聽where聽she stated that NOUN is an institution聽with great passion for students鈥櫬爀ntrepreneurship.
Inegbedion, requested that going by NOUN mode of operation, a wider聽spread to reach all NOUN students especially all聽the聽incubatees beyond Abuja聽metropolis be considered.
She called on the聽ministry to assist in improving the聽infrastructures in the incubation centers across the six geo-political zones, both聽the physical and the virtual.
鈥淥ur major area in the student entrepreneurship development, is the prototyping聽of ideas, NOUN have incubates with great ideas, but we are still struggling with聽the prototyping mechanism for lack of manpower and right infrastructure,鈥澛爏he said.
She,聽therefore, called for聽a聽training to be organised on how to prototype creative聽ideas, provide soft copies of the distributed books made available for聽NOUN students and also requested for permission to put the soft copies on NOUN聽virtual incubation center platform.
Earlier, while giving his welcome address, the chief host of the programme聽and聽Director,聽Abuja Model Study Centre, Prof. Sammi Ayodele,聽reiterated the聽importance of entrepreneurship,聽and聽urged聽the聽students to pay keen attention and聽enjoy the programme聽put together for them.
Mrs. Fuki Daniels, the facilitator and resource person for YouWiN, during聽her presentation, engaged students with encouraging words on creating their聽own businesses and becoming employers of labour, thereby reducing聽unemployment in Nigeria rather than waiting for white-collar jobs.
鈥淵ouWiN is counting on entrepreneurs to reduce unemployment in Nigeria,鈥 she聽said.
While enlightening聽the聽students about the programme,聽she stated the criteria required for them聽to be able to get grants from YouWiN, noting that a good business proposal and聽the right business could earn them a grant.
Daniels said the programme was meant for students and corps members, stating that聽only fashion design, ICT and manufacturing are the businesses supported by聽YouWiN.
Present at the programme聽were the Director,聽Special聽Study聽Centre, NURTW, Garki,聽represented by the Principal Assistant Registrar of the centre, Mr. Olawale Abass,聽the Deputy Director, DE&GS, Dr. Miriam Ohadiugha, host and zonal coordinator,聽Abuja, Dr. Basil Ibebunjo and anchor of the event and Chief Counsellor,聽Abuja Model Study Centre, Mr. Kingsley Arogunyo.