NOUN Graduates 51 Young Entrepreneurs

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NOUN Graduates 51 Young Entrepreneurs

August 18, 2023

Determined to impart students with crucial life skills and enhance their abilities to work in the real world, the Directorate for Entrepreneurship and General Studies (DE&GS), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), has graduated 51 young Incubatee entrepreneurs after successfully completing the Entrepreneurship Education Certificate programme.

The maiden graduation ceremony was held virtually on August 2, 2023, where the graduates were found worthy after going through rigorous intensive training and mentorship in the entrepreneurship programme.

The Vice–Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters, while congratulating the graduating students, noted that the emphasis on entrepreneurial education today is well known and that its essence is to cultivate the student’s entrepreneurial thinking and skills.

According to Peters, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Uduma Oji Uduma, ‘’in NOUN, we strive to strengthen our drive in this respect by establishing the incubation centres throughout the country in the various regions.

'It is our hope that the transformative learning you have gained in the course of your mentorship will empower you to fit into the entrepreneurial landscape as we have it today.'

On his part, the Director, Directorate of Entrepreneurship and General Studies, Dr. Samule Awolumate, said in his welcome address that the university is committed to exploring, developing, and delivering transformative learning experiences that will empower aspiring entrepreneurs, so that they can thrive in a dynamic and ever-evolving business landscape.

We are committed to exploring and fostering a culture of exploration, curiosity, and creativity among our incubatee so that they can think beyond boundaries, embrace uncertainty, and venture into uncharted waters.

'Today, they are being celebrated because they have gone through a developmental stage where we took them through essential skills, knowledge, and practical expertise so that they can navigate their entrepreneurship journey successfully in the real world,' Awolumate said.

He said the graduands were educated on prototyping their different ideas and services, so that they could deliver tangible outcomes that could translate their ideas into impactful businesses that would contribute to the betterment of society and the economy.

So today we are here to graduate them from the incubation centre and we will continue to follow them up to become visionary leaders of their own time and impact their generation.

'I believe that this graduation ceremony will usher them into a new phase of their endeavours as young entrepreneurs who are evolving to function in the business landscape,’ the director said.

Speaking on the topic 'Entrepreneurship Education and Mentoring of Emerging Entrepreneurs,' the pioneer and former director of the directorate, Prof. Juliet Inegbedion, said entrepreneurship education is very important in the university environment and the focus must not be construed.

'For the university to stand out, investments must be made in entrepreneurship education. They are the ones that can bring to bear the turning point required in any economy.' Senator Engr. (Dr.) Abubakar Sadiku Ohere, who delivered a keynote address, talked on 'Borderless Thinking: Unlocking Creativity and Innovation in Nigerian Business Ecosystem.'

At the end of the ceremony, certificates were presented and conferred on the graduates by the NOUN Vice-Chancellor, assisted by the university registrar, Mr. Oladipo Ajayi.