The intervention of GIZ to develop entrepreneurship trainers using the CEFE methodology in Federal University of Technology Minna and subsequent collaboration in 2005 gave birth to the establishment of a CEFE unit in the university. The first sets of lecturers to be licensed as CEFE trainers were in 2009. Since then, more lecturers have been certified to join the team with trainers spread across fifteen academic departments.
Over the years, the CEFE unit of the university has passionately deployed CEFE methodology in the teaching of entrepreneurship courses for their students. The unit also conducts leadership training for the student union body annually and specialized trainings for staff and the entire university community.
After many years of not having new trainers, and a desire to include more hands, the CEFE unit took a step forward with the coming of the present Vice Chancellor Prof. Abdullahi Bala. The new management came with a mission to boost entrepreneurship activities in the university.
They acknowledged that the high rating of the employability of university graduates is largely attributed to the entrepreneurship approach by the CEFE unit of the university.
The university management in collaboration with development partners GIZ and CEFE Nigeria, conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) for academic staff across various department in the university.
The CEFE ToT was anchored by CEFE trainer: Prof. O. K. Abubakre. He was assisted by four other trainers; Prof. (Mrs) Z. D. Osunde, Prof. R. O.Ojutiku, Mr. M. Gbate, and Dr. (Mrs) C. O. Alenoghena. The trainers were from FUT Minna while Mr. M. Gbate is from the Federal Polytechnic Bida representing CEFE Nigeria. The training can best be described as the hall mark of the CEFE Unit in 2019 as it saw a harvest of 28 new CEFistas. In a formal closing session, the participants expressed their appreciation for the training.
The enlarged and strengthen CEFE team of the university have committed themselves to working together towards achieving the goal of “acadoprenuership” – turning academic ideas into business and the use of the e-learning platform for teaching their students entrepreneurship.
Report: Dr. Caroline Alenoghena, CEFE Coordinator, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.