AE-FUNAI CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENUERSHIP AND EMPLOYABILITY (CEE) HOLDS CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT FOR FINAL YEAR STUDENTS
In line with its core mandate of preparing students for the future by equipping them with relevant functional knowledge and sellable as well as hands-on skills to be productive, employable and self-reliant on graduation, the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Employability (CEE), Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, has held its annual career development summit for final year students of the university with the theme: “2023 Career Development Programme for Final Year Students and Inter-Faculty Presentation on Venture Creation for National Development: An Entrepreneurial Approach.”


Rep. of VC, Prof. Friday Nwalo (2nd R) presenting a certificate to the students of the winning faculty – Physical Sciences while the Dean, Prof. Omaka N. Omaka (1st R) and a staff watch


The event which afforded the final students the opportunity to present marketable business plans in different business areas, was held at the Mini auditorium, NEEDS Assessment Building. The essence was to measure their understanding of the Nigerian economic environment, and their preparedness to lunch into the business world on graduation. It was also to help the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Employability to determine the success-level and impact of their students’ training programmes in order to improve their modalities. The Summit further helped the students to publicly showcase and display the various items/products they made under the tutelage, guidance and support of the Centre.


Rep. of VC, Prof. Friday Nwalo speaking at the event


While declaring the Summit open, the Vice-Chancellor of the University,Prof Sunday Oge Elom stated that the career development program was an annual event of the Center geared towards ascertaining the capacities of the final year students in the areas of business plan and products and services development. He therefore, advised the students to listen attentively to the various resource persons in order to learn and acquire the new knowledge needed to excel in life.

The Vice-Chancellor who was represented by the Director of Partnerships,Prof. Friday Nwalo commended the Centre for building the capacities of students, noting that career development is a good thing, assuring that the university will continue to support them to achieve their mandates.

Engr. C Asiegu while delivering the keynote speech titled “Career Development and Enterprise Formation for National Development harped on the importance of entrepreneurial mindset on career development, noting that educational institutions in Nigeria churn-out millions of graduates every year without the needed skill-set to be employable and self-reliant, thereby increasing the unemployment numbers in the country.


Keynote Speaker, Engr. C. Asiegu delivering his paper at the occasion
“We are taught in school on how to write CVs to get employment and rather than how to create jobs and form enterprise”, he lamented.

He further stressed the important roles government at all levels should play in creating the right policies and initiatives that promote career development and enterprise formation for national development, adding that there should be strategic collaboration between academia, industry and government in order to ensure national development.

In the same vein, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof Abel Ezeoha in his speech stated that the program was organized to create awareness on the benefits of self-employment due to the high rate of unemployment in the country and urged the Centre to continue to organize such programs in order to get students involved in activities that could prepare them for life after school, stating that entrepreneurship adds value to our lives and the society.


DVC, Administration, Prof. Abel Ezeoha delivering his speech during the event


He also advised the students not to be ashamed of displaying their products, no matter how little, as nothing should be taken for granted and urged them to be bold and confident in anything they do after graduation. He further advised them to invest in registered companies in Nigeria in order create the needed funds for achieving their goals.

Adding his voice to the discussion, the Ag. Director, Centre for Educational Services, Dr. Charles Ogbaekirigwe who spoke on “Strategies for Growing and Sustaining Small Enterprises in Nigeria” noted that one of the most important decision making units of any economy is the business enterprises unit to which small scale enterprises are housed in.


Ag. Director, CES, Dr. Charles Ogbaekirigwe speaking at the career development summit


He averred that there was no consensus on the definition of small scale business as what obtains in one country may not necessarily hold for another, stressing that small scale businesses are very critical to the survival of any nation as they contribute meaningfully to the growth of the economy, especially in a free enterprise or market economy.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Ag. Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship and Employability (CEE) Dr. Emmanuel Nweze emphasized the importance of career development through the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, noting that vast job opportunities exist for well- trained final year students of the university on the completion of ENT 201 and ENT 301 as they should be able to be self-reliant and create jobs because of the productive skills they acquired during training.


Ag. Director, CEE, Dr. Emmanuel Nweze making his opening remarks at the event


He maintained that entrepreneurs could turn the fortunes of an industry, government or educational institutions around through creative and innovative thinking.

He revealed that the Vice Chancellor approved the award of certificates to the winners and participants, adding that there would be a sponsorship of the selected enterprises through the freewill donations and crowd- funding scheme going on in the university.


Cross section of participating students at the event
Highlight of the summit was the presentation of awards and certificates to the winning faculties and students, where the Faculties of Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, and Engineering and Technology came first, second and third in that order.