2014 KWASU students establish over 2,500 businesses – Dean

Students of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, have established and registered over 2,500 businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The Dean, School of Business and Governance, Dr. Muritala Awodun said this development has earned KWASU a letter of commendation from the CAC Headquarters of the Commission in Abuja, as it was unprecedented in the history of its Ilorin Office.

Dr. Awodun who disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Ilorin alongside the new Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship, Dr. Hakeem Ajonbadi, said in recognition of the University's achievements in making its students entrepreneurs even before their graduation, the Centre for Entrepreneurship was awarded the Nigeria Country Prize of one thousand dollars in the Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship Education for the year 2013.

In addition to that, Dr. Awodun who until his appointment as Dean of the School of Business and Governance was the Director of the Centre for entrepreneurship was also named the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Global Startup Workshop (GSW) 2014 African Scholar. He was later invited to Marrakech, Morocco between March 24 and 27, 2014, to attend the GSW organised by the Institute. This, he said, was another confirmation of KWASU’s remarkable contributions to entrepreneurial development in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large in the last four years.

According to him, “We are not just teaching entrepreneurship, we are making it happen by ensuring that what we teach the students, they put it into practice.” He said since the University has been able to train its students on wealth creation, it would go a long way to address the problems of unemployment facing the country. “That is what the MIT saw and said as the Director of the Centre, I’m qualified to be named the 2014 African Scholar.”

On his part, the new Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre, Dr. Ajonbadi stated that the University is putting in place structures for the production of table and sachet water, soap, liquid wash and bakery, adding that when completed, KWASU students will be employed in the establishments. He said the student-workers, who will be selected based on their academic performances, will be engaged 15 hours per week and get paid for the services rendered.

He stated that in order to rekindle the dying legacy of entrepreneurship, KWASU founding fathers were very clear from the outset that the University’s focus is going to be fundamentally on entrepreneurship development, adding that Dr. Awodun also came up with a proposal on entrepreneurship development which he said tallied with the vision of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na'Allah.

Dr. Ajonbadi noted that although KWASU is still new, its achievements have tremendously surpassed its age as evident in the feedback and the global recognition. He reaffirmed that the University will continue to keep pace with its set goals.

Highlighting other breakthroughs of the Centre, Dr. Ajonbadi said KWASU has been celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week annually since 2010, noting that only the University and the Yaba College of Technology celebrated the event in the whole of Nigeria in 2013.

He said the University has also been participating in the YouWin Competition since 2012 and that the Enterprise Development Centre coordinating the Competition nationwide has found KWASU worthy to coordinate the entire North Central. “We did the training last year and we are doing the same this year, he said.

He added that the University also organises Chief Executives’ Entrepreneurship Directors’ Conference, Kwara Start Up for Unemployed Youths, and Train the Trainers’ programme as well as the recently held Chief Executives Entrepreneurship Education Retreat for Chairmen of Governing Councils, Vice- Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts of Higher Institutions in Nigeria and other Chief Executives and Directors at Obudu Cattle Ranch, Cross Revers State.

He therefore assured of his readiness to consolidate the achievements of his predecessor as the new Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship with the support of the Vice-Chancellor and members of the University Community.