The University of Abuja has launched the Enterprise University Initiative to prepare students for life beyond the classroom by equipping them with practical business skills, promoting innovation and supporting enterprise development as a pathway to job creation.
The development was contained in a statement made available to TheQuickPR on Wednesday. The initiative, described as Africa’s first Enterprise University, was organised by the University’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Students Mentorship (CEDSM), under the theme, “Innovative Agriculture as a Tool for Sustainable Enterprise Growth and Youth Empowerment,” and attracted participants from government, academics, development organisations and the private sector.
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Hakeem Babatunde Fawehinmi, described the initiative as a major step towards making university education more responsive to the needs of society and the economy. He said the programme would enable students to transform classroom knowledge into practical solutions, innovative businesses and sustainable enterprises capable of creating jobs.
Fawehinmi said the university would support 10 students with outstanding and convincing business concept notes, urging students to take advantage of the initiative and become drivers of innovation and enterprise.
“The University had enormous potential across disciplines, particularly in science, technology, agriculture and the social and management sciences, to generate solutions for Nigeria’s development challenges,” the Vice Chancellor disclosed.
Earlier, the Director of CEDSM, Prof. Adeniran Lateef Ariyo, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the demands of the marketplace. He said the programme would help students identify societal challenges, develop practical solutions and transform research ideas into viable businesses.
Ariyo explained that the centre would continue to create opportunities for students to interact with industry entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to allow knowledge and expertise generated within the university to reach the wider society.
Representing the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Deputy Director in the ministry, Okoro Nkechinyere, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s efforts to promote innovation, industrialisation and job creation.
She stressed that universities must move beyond traditional teaching and research to commercialising innovations that will contribute to national development.
Also speaking, the Country Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Markus Wagner, represented by Baba Femi Oyederin, described the initiative as a timely intervention that could reshape entrepreneurship education in Nigeria.
He encouraged students to focus on solving real-life problems through innovation and enterprise rather than relying solely on paid employment after graduation.
Stakeholders at the event agreed that the Enterprise University Initiative represents a shift from the traditional model of university education to one driven by innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation. They expressed confidence that the programme would produce successful student-led enterprises and provide a model that could be replicated by other universities across Nigeria and Africa.
