The African Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (AASME) has established a knowledge hub (K-Hub) in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.
The Knowledge hub is projected to be an academic institute for trade in Africa. It will be capturing, sharing and exchanging development experiences with national and international partners, to accelerate the development of Micro, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (MSMEs).
It is also linked with the peace-building project, to ensure a hostile-free business environment favourable for those willing to compete and develop the economy of the area further.
The knowledge hub will partner with universities, research institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and firms that are working successfully, to create new knowledge, drive innovation, and build networks, Darlington Onuoha, president general/chief executive officer (CEO) of AASME, stated.
He explained also that the knowledge hub will accommodate localities with high interest and external networking and knowledge-sharing capabilities and provide cutting-edge knowledge of MSMEs, emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems, humane entrepreneurship and other relevant topics.
Onuoha said Knowledge hub will also serve as an access point to the best industry resource training and current realities of MSMEs, which is why AASME encourages everyone to be a participant, partner, and sponsor, as it begins the move to offer certification, training, research that concerns business development of MSMEs.
Speaking during the first inauguration of the governing council board of the AASME Knowledge Hub and Peace Building Projects in Aba, Onuoha said that AASME is working on the SMEs development that will catch up with potential investors that will develop the SMEs subsectors of the economy.
He stated that this is one of the things the AASME Knowledge hub wishes to achieve, through knowledge, innovation and creativity, being a community member of the International Council for Small Business (ICSB).
“The AASME K-Hub and Peace Building Project, has more than 35 components with a mind-blowing value, as a centre for wealth creation, through knowledge for economic development for Africa, to the world.
“The Hub is for training, research, capacity building, exhibition, award and certification. We are open to partnership, collaboration, sponsorship, among others.”
He observed that peace building is necessary in business, as it helps in resolving disputes in non-violent ways, as well as address the underlying cause of conflict.
Gregory Ibe, chancellor, Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, in his keynote address, noted that the choice of entrepreneurship education in an atmosphere of peace is the way out of the present economic downturn in Nigeria.
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Speaking on the theme, “Importance of Entrepreneurship Educational Development and Knowledge Hub, Peace Building in a Developing Democratic Economy like Nigeria,” Ibe, said that entrepreneurship education equips people with the knowledge of how to venture into businesses or develop the urge to build.
Represented by Uwaoma Uche, a professor and dean, College of Social and Management Sciences, GUU, Ibe explained that no investor will be interested in investing in a harsh business environment.
“Today peace is a scarce currency in Nigeria. The lives of Innocent citizens are wasted at the altar of violent expressions. Many civilians and soldiers have died in the name of defending territorial integrity.
“Armed robbery, cybercrime, assassinations and the proliferation of sophisticated weapons are the order of the day. Other security challenges, such as cross-boundary banditry, pipeline vandalism, cattle rustling, open market extortion by security operatives among others, stifles businesses”.
He explained that sustainable development and entrepreneurship development can only thrive in the atmosphere of peace.
“Therefore, all stakeholders in the development of the nation should ensure the maintenance and sustenance of peace, if entrepreneurship must thrive in our society”.
Ibe, called on the government to continue to support the growth of entrepreneurship in Nigeria, by providing a conducive business environment, using the instruments of law and policy and provision of capital to support entrepreneurship.
Drafting progressive and sustainable educational policy on entrepreneurship education and studies will also boost entrepreneurship, he stated.
Speaking further on entrepreneurship education, Ibe said that the meaning goes beyond formal educational institutions to the adoption of teaching techniques, through any medium and in any forum to teach people how to apply entrepreneurial skills in various ways.
He charged youths in the zone to rise and embrace the new way of improving their ideas, stressing that youth entrepreneurship education prepares young people to be responsible enterprising individuals, who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers and contribute to economic development and sustainable communities.
Ibe said, “true entrepreneurship education provides opportunities for youths to master competencies related to core entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attitudes.
“It also helps the youths to recognise innovation opportunities, idea generation and marshal resources in the face of risk, to pursue opportunities.
“The implications of entrepreneurship education to sustainable development is that it empowers people with skills with which they can start small businesses from practically nothing.
“It promotes vision with enthusiastic passion, activates the urge to build, and promotes strategies that change vision into reality. A society made up of entrepreneurship-minded people will not be characterized by poverty, unemployment or laziness.
“This invariably means that entrepreneurship education is a springboard for the economic development of any nation. Through entrepreneurship education development of any society will be participatory in nature. Both government and the governed, would be seriously engaged in the process of developing society.
“People will not just sit idle or simply search for government jobs, but could seek to establish their own small and medium scale businesses, thereby building the economic base of the society”.
