Umuahia- Entrepreneurship studies will address the challenge of mass unemployment among school leavers including university graduates in Nigeria, Prof. Hillary Edeoga, the Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, has said.
Edeoga said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Umuahia.
He said that the university had establish a centre for entrepreneurship studies after sensitising the staff and students on the prospects of entrepreneurial capacity development.
“The centre has fully commenced the hands-on training of students on entrepreneurship in engineering, agriculture, food science and technology.”
According to him, the centre has concluded arrangements to conduct training for traders, artisans and other members of the public, after which they will receive certificates of the university.
“Another major stride recorded by the centre is its collaborative arrangements with some national and international organisations to train students and provide micro credit to enable them embark on small-scale entrepreneurial activities,’’ he said.
Edeoga said that some of the students were beginning to appreciate the benefits of the training including cooperative arrangements in procurement, product marketing, and production.
The vice chancellor said students participating in the programme had formed entrepreneurship clubs to properly harness their activities.
Edeoga disclosed that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund had assisted university’s entrepreneurship centre with incubators, equipment for converting waste to wealth, among others.
In a separate interview, the institution’s Head of Public Relations, Mrs Onyinyechi Ralph-Nwachukwu told NAN that plans were underway to hold a fair and product exhibition, to showcase products from the centre. (NAN)
