FG approves N100m in 2011 for establishment of Entrepreneur centres in Universities

       

The Federal Government said it approved N100 million in 2011 for the establishment of Entrepreneurship Centres in both federal and state universities in the country.

Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), made this known on Wednesday in Bauchi, while declaring open a two-day workshop on “Entrepreneurship for lecturers in higher institutions in the North East Zone’’.

Bogoro, represented by a TETFUND coordinator, Murtala Mustapha said that the centre would produce the needed platform for lecturers, students and members of the public to articulate appropriate strategies for entrepreneurship skills for national development.

He said that TETFUND Board of Trustee, in line with the policy had approved a five-year vision from 2004 to 2019 to deepen its focus on economic content, quality and excellence.

Bogoro stressed that TETFUND had been in the forefront of supporting innovative approaches to teaching and learning over years.

He asserted that current global trend indicates that entrepreneurship had become a major component of economic growth in developing countries like Nigeria which the country would not lag behind.

The executive secretary said that the country’s quest for entrepreneurship would promote agriculture, service industries, metal and non-metal fabrications, chemical and allied ventures development in the institutions to enable it achieve self sufficiency.

He assured that TETFUND would continue to play its role toward ensuring positive transformation in the education sector as part of Federal Government transformation agenda.

Dr Musa Babayo, the Chairman, TETFUND Board of Trustee, observed that entrepreneurship had become the main focus of leading institutions globally and pre-occupation of most developed and developing countries.

Babayo, represented by Kolopo Okunlola, TETFUND Director for Human Resource, said that entrepreneurship would change the focus and quality of graduates from employees to employers of labour.

He said that TETFUND Board had approved the establishment of a new Department of Research and Development (R&D), as well as Centre of Excellence to champion the institutionalisation of R and D in tertiary institutions.

The chairman assured the graduates that after obtaining the knowledge, they would become employers rather than seeking for white colour jobs.

He said that the workshop was aimed at impacting knowledge on lecturers in the public tertiary institutions toward promoting entrepreneurship and capacity building courses as part of wealth creation. (NAN)