PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES OF CEDR

CEDR runs the following programmes and activities:

  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR UNDERGRADUATES OF UNN.

Scope of the entrepreneurship education programme

This programme will cover the general overview of a business enterprise from inception to growth and maturity stages. It is geared to making the students appreciate an operating entity within a business environment. It will cover the concept and functions of the entrepreneur, basic business management and other challenges of peculiar business types. Among other things the programme covers aspects of leadership, decision making, financial management, legal forms and requirements in businesses, and the cooperative business as a special case in the entrepreneurship process.

  • Qualification for the programme:
    • All university undergraduate students are qualified. However the programme is specifically meant for students of the university in their penultimate years.

Programme Courses:

  • The two courses to be taught are – CED 341: Introduction to Entrepreneurship, and CED342: Business Development and Management.
  • CED 341: Introduction to Entrepreneurship
    • The CED 341, which is titled Introduction to Entrepreneurship, will comprise two basic course modules- Definitions, Concepts, and theoretical framework of Entrepreneurship. This module is expected to expose students to basic definitions, concepts, and theories of entrepreneurship. The second module covers Business opportunity evaluation and is specifically expected to expose students to: sources of information for finding and screening venture opportunities; generate new venture ideas that will eventually be used in business planning process; and the criteria used by entrepreneurs, angel and venture capital investors in evaluating potential ventures.
  • CED 342: Business Development and Management
    • This course is divided into two modules. The first module covers some basic issues in business management. Such as: leadership; customer loyalty; time management; and decision making processes. The first module is designed to equip the students with the requisite skill for effective interpersonal relationship management in the organization. The second module is on business development which deals with: business environment; cooperatives and information management. The second module gives insight into the analysis of market situations, production plan, financial plan and writing a complete business plan. Finally, students are exposed to the intricacies of new venture creation and documention and how to access financial assistance from financial institutions and other venture capital agencies.
  • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME

The Business Management Enhancement Programme was developed to bridge the gap between town and gown in a warm beneficial relationship. It has two components: the Basic Business Management Enhancement Programme and the Advance Business Management Enhancement Programme. The two programmes complement and enhance each other.

  • Programme objectives:
  • To offer opportunity to small business operators to grow in theoretical and practical knowledge in business, as well as build capacity for industrialization.
  • To create a platform to enable the University to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), contribute in training and empowering the labour force engaged in direct productive activities and thus create receptors for technological development.

So far about 700 (seven hundred) artisans have been trained.

  • SKILL ACQUISITION

Over 500 participants have been trained in various skills, which include event decoration, fashion designing, bead/hat making, woodwork, catering, publishing, bakery, pond management, snail farming and agriculture among others. Some of them are well established and have won laurels at state level competitions. About 200 participants have acquired ICT training and proficiency in internet usage.

  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (EDC)

As the Implementing Agency (IA) of the Central Bank of Nigeria with regards to running the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) South East, CEDR is carrying out specialized training on entrepreneurship for the benefit of the unemployed youths (university graduates and school leavers) in the South East and South – South of Nigeria.

  • To date, over 2,000 university graduates and secondary/primary school leavers have been trained. The training has enabled some of those trained at the EDC to start up businesses.
  • Currently, above 160 EDC graduates with bankable business plans have been successfully linked to finance
  • So far, more than 22 beneficiaries of the EDC programme have accessed bank loans
  • About 7000 small business operators were counseled; and most of them have recorded significant improvements in their business performance.

 

  • WORKSHOP

The CEDR organizes workshops to sustain constant interaction with target audience and foster clearer understanding of core issues of the entrepreneurship culture. Some of these workshops include:

  1. Four sensitization workshops organized for the University community at the inception of entrepreneurship revolution in the University, to indoctrinate University Community on the wave of reinvigoration of self reliance.
  2. A training workshop for final year students of the University, on developing positive entrepreneurial mindset and prepare for possible self employment after graduation.
  3. A workshop on investing in stocks to diversify investment portfolio and climate in the passive emporium, and enhance personal income.
  4. A training workshop on Forex trading, to harness the burgeoning trade on currency and cause improved living standard.
  5. In collaboration with Withworth Entrepreneurship Consultancy, London, CEDR organized the 1st and 2nd ever Undergraduate Business Conference on the 14th and 21st July 2007 and the second edition between 25-27th of June, 2008, to demonstrate values of student entrepreneurship and benefits of youth vibrancy in enterprise ownership.
  6. The Centre also organized a sensitization workshop for Ebonyi State youths and small business operators between 8 and 10th July, 2008. The workshop revealed several potentially lucrative investment options possible with small capital.
  7. CEDR in collaboration with the University Authority organized a workshop on innovation and creativity for staff and students, from December 1 to 3, 2008. Innovation was exemplified in its simplest form to demonstrate its diversity and dynamism.
  8. With Withworth Entrepreneurship Consultancy, London, the Centre organized the maiden edition of Entrepreneurship Tour of universities, on 15 June 2010 at Nsukka Campus and on 16th June, 2010 at Enugu Campus, of the University of Nigeria. Entrepreneurial activities of students from various higher institutions in Nigeria were displayed as an encouragement for self reliance even in school.
  9. The 2010 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Summit was organized to prepare students for employment (both corporate and self employment) with expose on the immense potentials of Nigeria for employment that have not been tapped.
  10. Empowerment for Retirement Workshop was organized to staff of the University likely to retire within two years, to abreast them of avenue for self actualization even in retirement, and how to eat right and stay fit.
  11. The 2011 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Summit organized for students created direct link with operators of the real sector and exposed the possibilities of success from the scratch.

                                                                             

  • GROOMING ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERS (GEL) PROJECT

The GEL Project is an attempt to disburse development fund equitably by directly reaching the target audience through Entrepreneurship Development Centres. It is designed to identify entrepreneurs with growth potentials and enshrine good enterprise management among the real sector operators. The later goal is achieved by selected enterprises with appropriate business registration at with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and whose enterprises have business account. These conditions are vital for adroit financial management and record keeping both frequently occurring management problems.

The GEL Project is a financial instrument fashioned to provide fund for expansion of small businesses and development of potentials for job creation. Therefore, it aims to trigger innovativeness for business expansion and utilization of full capacity, for every legally established business venture. The project is phased to ensure full encapsulation of the target group and also, to assess the impact of the novel project and hence, need for further development.

All small business operators are required to legalize their enterprise by registering them with the CAC in order to b recognized and considered for the GEL Project.

 

  • RESEARCH

The scope of research activities in the Centre covers topical issues in entrepreneurship and development. In order to sharpen the research inquiry and broaden it for fuller utilization, the element of entrepreneurship is imbued uniquely in our methodologies, to explore nuggets not often revealed in other research efforts.

  • Survey of skill acquisition needs of staff and students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
  • Specification of packaging models for indigenous meat products.
  • Development and fortification of instant functional food from underutilized food crops.
  • Implementation of staff salary payment using Q-Basic Programming language.
  • Women’s work and child-care practices in Anambra State: impact on balanced child development.
  • Perception of child labour among women in Nsukka Town
  • The place of hero in tragedy: implications for entrepreneurship training methods.

                        

  • CONSULTANCY PROJECTS

The Centre engages in consultancy for corporate bodies, aids organizations and government.

  • The CEDR was one of the consultants that carried out the research project on Assessment of Level of Access to ICT in Semi-Urban and Rural Nigeria funded by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
  • The Centre has carried out a research consultancy project on Measurement and Benchmarking of Nigeria’s Digital Opportunity’s Index (DOI) with Similar Markets also funded by NCC.
  • It is currently executing another NCC research consultancy project:
  • In collaboration with Central Bank of Nigeria, the CEDR is the Implementing Agency (IA) of Entrepreneurship Development Centre; South East and South South.

 

  • COOPERATIVE SOCIETY

The CEDR successfully established a cooperative venture called Lions Entrepreneurship Multi-purpose Cooperative Society (LEMCOS).

  • Currently, LEMCOS has over 1,500 registered members, the majority of whom are grandaunds of CEDR Business Management Enhancement Programme.
  • LEMCOS is already capitalized to the tune of about seven million, nine hundred and fifty six thousand naira (N7, 956,000).
  • With many viable portfolios such as thrift fund, unit trust, and pension’s fund, LEMCOS has invested substantially in blue chip companies.
  • LEMCOS established a merchandising store, which has facilitated purchase of household and consumer durables for members.