From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe (NOCEN), Anambra State has established a School of Entrepreneurship and Digital Innovation (SEDI) to boost students’ opportunities after graduation.
The school of Entrepreneurship is in partnership with Rome Business School, Italy and Digital Hands Limited and European Standard Education and Internationally recognised Certification in Entrepreneurship, ICT and innovation.
Speaking during the official launching/conference of SEDI at the college Auditorium, the Provost of NOCEN, Dr. Ifeyinwa Osegbo, said that she conceived the idea in 2018 and put machinery on ground to actualize the plan in 2021.
She said that the motive was to ensure that graduating student were equipped in any field of their endeavours to be self reliant and to be job creators instead of job seekers through the entrepreneurship training.
“This event is big occasion in my life because I started this project since 2018 and since the planning started its hasn’t been easy but today it’s dream come true. It’s geared towards digital innovation and entrepreneurship. The programme will go a long way to help students and others to acquire knowledge and to make them to be independent and self reliant”.
Osegbo however encouraged students, staff and college community to enroll in the programme which will boost their wellbeing and increase their productivity. She commended the Chairman of the Governing Council Chief Cletus Ibeto for ensuring that the idea came into fruition.
The Commissioner for Science and Tertiary Education, Mr. Sally Mbanefo represented by Dr. Florence Ilo, commended the provost of the college for the initiative, saying that it will go a long way in job creation.
She said that the government of Willie Obiano through various agencies has been providing skills training under the Small and Medium Enterprises where over N2 billion loan has been disbursed to the benefiting citizens of the state.
Mbanefo further urged students and others to enroll in the programme with all serious, saying that upon their graduation, they should apply for state loan scheme through ASBA with little or no interest rate in order to establish their own business.
The Director General of SEDI, Mr. Nkem Orakwe, an engineer, said that the school will run top up degree in entrepreneurship and innovation, Professional Executive Short Program in Management, Leadership, entrepreneurship & Agribusiness, professional certification in information and Communication Technology (ICT), SEDI Youth Development Training programme as well as professional executive masters in school administration and management.
He said: “The students who enroll in the programme would be expected to benefit double certification, In-class lectures (knowledge, skill, competences, and research-based), networking opportunities with South-East start-up community, participation in entrepreneurship and innovation boot camps in Nigeria and Europe.
In his remarks, the chairman governing council of NOCEN, Chief Cletus Ibeto represented by a former commissioner for Finance in Anambra State, Chief Eze Echesi said that the programme will help the students and non-students to acquire entrepreneurial skills.
He said that the world which is changing to technological based global cannot do without ICT innovation hence the idea of establishing the entrepreneurship school in NOCEN to keep the students at the same level and compete favourably with other students outside.
Ibeto said that the school will give student opportunity to learn new skills that will help them to establish their trade and business after graduation without waiting for white collar jobs which is nowhere, urged them to key into the programme.