Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has officially commissioned and handed over the CBN 2011 intervention project (Centre for Entrepreneurship Development building) to Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia State, a project purely designed for the Southeast zone.
Speaking during the event in Umuahia, Emefiele, represented by a Deputy Director in CBN, Oluwole Owoeye, appealed to Abians and the entire Southeast to leverage and take advantage of the centre to develop their skills.
The CBN boss, who described the project as part of corporate and social responsibility of CBN said, the Entrepreneur Development Centre (EDC) was designed to develop skills (Small and Medium Scale Enterprises).
His word: “In Nigeria we realised that for now, there are dearth of skills. People don’t have relevant skills. So the essence of this project is for people to develop skills in various areas, so that they can be independent on their own”.
“This one is the project the bank has developed for the southeast zone. My appeal is Abia and the entire Southeast should leverage and take advantage of this centre, come and develop their skills. We know that Aba is well known for a lot of SMEs, so I want to use this medium to appeal to the people in Aba, its environs and entire Abia to come and patronise this centre, so that we will build up their skills,” he further said.
“We have shoe, slippers, bag and sandals making unit, bread, cake, chin-chin and custard marking unit, clothing and textile unit, auto mechanic and generator repairs, insecticide, Airfreshner and perfume unit among others in this centre. So people from the southeast zone should come in and build their skills so that Nigeria will be a better place for all of us”.
He appealed to the Centre Director to be objective enough in giving MOUAU Vice Chancellor, Francis Ogbonnaya Otunta, information on critical things lacking in the centre so that it would keep on meeting the expectations of the people.
Emefiele also called on the Abia State Government to assist MOUAU in supplying facilities which may be lacking in the centre, in order to sustain it.
In his address, Professor Otunta appreciated Ikenna Onyido, former vice chancellor under whose administration the project was attracted and commenced), Hilary Odo Edeoga, the immediate past VC for sustaining the development of the project and the CBN for conceiving the idea that birthed the edifice from the start to the completion of it.
The VC, who was represented by Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, the DVC, said the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) was established in October 2011 in compliance with the directive of the Federal government of Nigeria and National Universities Commission, adding that the vision of CED was to make MOUAU a foremost institution, especially, University of Agriculture in Nigeria, that provides comprehensive and highly accessible quality entrepreneurship education and training.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship MOUAU, Oji Onu Ekumankama commended the CBN boss for reaffirming his interest in CED and in promoting entrepreneurial education and training in the university.
He described the project as a big morale booster for CED whose mission was to provide facilities and expertise (for students of MOUAU and catchment community people) that will propel the growth and development of SMEs through sustainable quality, effective and dynamic entrepreneurial coaching and assistance.
