Enugu – Students and staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) have been advised not to rely solelyon their certificate as their means of livelihood.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie gave the advice on Wednesday during a one-day workshop organised for staff and students of the university in collaboration with Tertiary Education Trust Funds (TETFUND).

The workshop which was aimed at giving students and academics hands-on knowledge for developing viable business ideas through proper feasibility studies and crafting realistic startup plans, was part of a broader push to strengthen entrepreneurship in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

The two separate workshops were held simultaneously at the new Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) of the university, Ebe Ano City, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The workshop brought together selected students and academics for practical sessions on two closely related themes: “Feasibility Studies and Business Start-up Plans” and “Business Analysis for Business Start-ups.”

The Vice Chancellor told the participants that “certificate alone, in the Nigerian and global setting, can lead you to nowhere. What employers really want is what a graduate can actually offer. And I also challenge my staff to diversify. The world today is not such that you would rely on one certificate for sustenance, diversify, acquire new careers and improve yourself,” he said.  

Professor Vincent Onodugo of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), kicked off the presentations looking at the theme “Business Analysis Fundamentals: Defining Needs and Managing Stakeholder Expectations.” He pointed out that many Nigerian business owners still struggle with accountability, which is one of the biggest expectations stakeholders have.

A former Director and pioneer Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Asaba, Dame Elizabeth Agu (mni), focused on feasibility studies. Drawing from her banking experience, she explained their real meaning, purpose, and different types, while highlighting common causes of start-up failures. She drove home the point that a proper feasibility study is not just important but is a critical risk management tool for any business.

On his part, the Director of ESUT Consult, Professor Okechukwu Oji, took participants through “Start-up Business Plan: Development, Technical, Operational and Financial Evaluation.” He broke down the concepts of start-up, planning, development, and technical aspects before diving deeper into the topic.

The last speaker, Professor Chris Orga, an analytical business and entrepreneurship expert, and Deputy Director, EDC ESUT, took the conversation from different perspective, with fresh insights on mapping and modelling in business analysis, identifying inefficiencies, and spotting improvement opportunities using strategic tools. He also shared basic data analysis techniques and recommended Excel as more practical and sufficient for most start-up needs than the often-used SPSS.

Earlier in his speech, the Director of Entrepreneurial Centre ESUT, Professor Jude Udenta welcome all participants and facilitators to the workshop and stressed that the essence of the training was to equip ESUT Staff and students on the needed knowledge to discourage overdependence on certificate and encourage knowledge diversification. “This workshop is key to our careers as students or staff. The knowledge gained here would come handy in helping us not to depend on our certificate for sustenance. Diversification is key and cross-pollination of ideas here today will stimulate the discourse, I welcome all of you”, he said.

The Director of Academic Planning, Prof Chike Anibeze, reminded the participants that although education remains the key factor in human development, he however noted that the existing realities in the 21^st century global growth has made it mandatory that education without skills acquisition is not enough. “Humanity is diversifying, things are changing drastically such that with certificate alone, you will be lost in the global trend. Acquiring a skilling and starting up a business of your own is very important in our global society today,” he said.   

A question-and-answer session followed, group photographs were taken, and closing prayers offered before participants exited the hall

Not only did the Vice Chancellor, but the DVC, Chike Nwoha, the dean of Faculty of Management Sciences, Professor Uchenna Bonniface Ugwuanyi, also graced the workshop.

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In its bid to promote practical application of entrepreneurship to improve of societal needs, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) ESUT recently organized a train the trainer workshop in the University.

The workshop which held at the EDC Building at the main campus of the University at Agbani was to acquaint the lecturers and Practicum Instructors of the programmes of the Centre and the CCMAS implementation in the University

Anchored on the theme “Learning Journey: Teach-The-Teacher”, guest speakers made paper presentations highlighting the importance of acquisition of entrepreneurship skills before they leave the university.

In his opening address, the Director of the Centre, Prof Jude Udenta, thanked the Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Aloysius Michaels-Nnnabugwu Okolie, for giving the Centre the platform to perform. He described the Vice-Chancellor as a change agent and promised not to fail him or the University. The Director thanked the facilitators and partners for attending the workshop and promised them a rewarding session.

In her paper, titled “Demands of CCMAS on Entrepreneurship Education”, the Director, Institute of Education, ESUT, Prof. Ngozika Mbarjiorgu, reminded participants that skill acquisition is not entrepreneurship. She advised the lecturers to let the students understand that only when the skill is used to innovate that it is entrepreneurship.

Prof. Chike Anibeze, Director of Academic Planning, commended the Centre for organising the workshop, describing it as timely. He posited that entrepreneurship hinges on value addition for economic development.

During his paper presentation, Director, ESUT Consult, Prof. Okey Oji described  business model as a rationale of how an organisation delivers and captures value. He stressed business model as a blueprint for strategy to be implemented through organisational structures, processes and systems. He advocated that key business model canvas should revolve around knowing key partners, activities, value propositions, customer relationships, customer segments, key resources, channels and revenue streams.

On his part, the Deputy Director EDC, Prof Chris Orga who delivered a paper on “Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Understanding the Embedded Contents”

described CCMAS as a bold attempt at re-orientating the students on entrepreneurship. He x-rayed the contents of the course – Entrepreneurship and Innovation and identified basic concepts of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, theories of entrepreneurship, innovation, forms of business ownership, critical thinking and 21st century skills.

He advised the participants to ensure the students were taught the biography of successful entrepreneurs as it would propel them to embrace entrepreneurship. He advocated the adoption of subjective questions in testing the students understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation, instead of the present evaluation method based on multiple choice questions. He warned that the continued use of multiple choice questions in evaluation would turn the students into robots and would increase stereotyping.

Earlier in his opening speech, the Director, EDC, Prof. Jude Udenta expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie for giving the Centre the platform to perform. He equally appreciated the facilitators and partners for attending the workshop and promised that their views would be collated and implemented to make the centre more viable.

Highlights of the workshop were the tour of EDC facilities and issuance of certificates to the facilitators and participants.

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The Head, Department of Mass Communication, ESUT, Barr Dr Chidiebere Ezinwa has on behalf of the Editorial Board of the ESUT Monitor Newspaper, expressed gratitude to the readers of the University’s flagship newspaper, the management and entire university community for their sustained readership and support in the outgoing year.

The HOD who disclosed this in his Christmas and New Year message on Wednesday, expressed gratitude to the student-reporters and all who are working tirelessly particularly behind the scene to sustain the ESUT Monitor Newspaper.

Dr Ezinwa acknowledged that without the expanding readership of the newspaper and unquenchable support from the management, the ESUT Monitor Newspaper (EMN) wouldn’t have attained its status as “the authoritative voice of the university community”

“On behalf of EMN, the HOD, Mass Communication Department extends his gratitude to our numerous readers, staff, students and entire management of Enugu State University of Science and Technology for their kind support to EMN which accounts for its gradual growth from strength to strength.

“We thank you immensely and will never relent in our efforts to serve you better as we look forward to further expansion in the coming year,” he said.

He further expressed his thankfulness to the board of the department, staff, colleagues and students for their steadfastness in ensuring that the quest to reposition the department is yielding desired results and also thanked the university management for the restoration of the ESUT Radio.

“We have been on a journey to reposition the department and make it the best not just in the faculty but in the university. This destination, though still a work in progress, have already achieved measurable targets which wouldn’t have been recorded without the maximum support of the Departmental Board, my colleagues/staff and the students who work collaboratively to ensure that we are pushing to attain our targets.

“Most importantly, I want to appreciate the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie and his team in ensuring the restoration of our radio station, ESUT Radio, 106.5FM.

“The restoration of the radio station, ESUT Monitor Newspaper and other activities geared at giving the students first-hand experience in journalism aligns with the vision of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Barr Dr Peter Ndubisi Mbah on the need for enthronement of Experiential Learning in our curriculum.

“With your continued support, we hope to take over the airwave and regain our position as the best campus radio station East of the Niger and beyond.

“While we are grateful to all for the support in the outgoing year, it is our firm hope that the New Year would be better.”

He also acknowledged the support of the Dean Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof Uche Ugwuanyi who while as the Director of Entrepreneurship Development Centre, EDC, identified with ESUT Monitor and has consolidated it as the Dean of faculty.

“Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year,” Barr Dr Chidiebere Ezinwa said.

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Professor Jude Udenta on Tuesday took over as the Director.of Entrepreneurship Development Centre, EDC in ESUT.

Prof Udenta assumed duties after handover ceremony was performed by former Deputy Director of the Centre, Prof Christopher Orga who handed over the administration of the centre to the new Director.

Prof Udenta, the immediate past Dean of Student Affairs Replaces Prof Uche Ugwuanyi

In his acceptance speech, the new Director promised to sustain the developmental drive already established while at the same time working to ensure that the EDC Building at Opposite School of Postgraduate Studies is completed.

Earlier in his handover note, Prof Orga who represented Prof Ugwuanyi noted that despite several successes recorded including the sustenance of the sessional practicum by the students, none completion of the EDC Building remains a major challenge.

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