As part of efforts to complement Africa’s drive to build a cadre of home-grown business leaders across the continent, Academic City University College – a premium Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics tertiary institution – has launched its innovative Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship programme.
The programme is expected to commence September 2020, and will equip students with requisite skills to build competence in entrepreneurial and management functions; enable them to work across various disciplines; as well as impart knowledge that enables them to set up their businesses.
This unique programme will seek to encourage and support the incubation and acceleration of concepts or projects that students may have coming into the programme, or developed during their course of study, to help them transition concepts into enterprises before or soon after graduation.
Research has shown that the skill set of entrepreneurs and enterprising people will increase in the coming decades. Not only do entrepreneurs drive economic growth, but socially-oriented entrepreneurs often also contribute to solutions on environmental and social issues.
Employers also need workers who combine holistic problem-solving and analytical skills with relevant knowledge and such entrepreneurial competencies as pro-activity, independence, flexibility, perseverance and sound communication skills.
According to the President of Academic City, Prof. Fred McBagonluri, the university is committed to playing a vital role in building and sustaining an entrepreneurial culture among the young generation on the African continent.
“Our flagship entrepreneurship programme will provide students with a thorough grounding in developing businesses from a practical perspective, hence grounding them in enterprise management. This will help to immerse them in the startup world and enable them to develop their own enterprises,” he said.
He further stressed: “Currently, large enterprises tend to recruit young people who have entrepreneurial spirit and skills to drive organiaational growth. This propelled us to develop this innovative programme for nurturing students to be creative, innovative and goal-driven; so as to keep a competitive edge and be ready for the future global marketplaces”.
Dr. Linda Deigh, Dean of Faculty of Business, Entrepreneurship and Communication Arts, expressed optimism that the new programme will produce young and skilled entrepreneurs who will take advantage of today’s dynamic entrepreneurial environment.
“We look forward to welcoming our first entrepreneurship cohorts next academic year, to equip them with the necessary skills that will help them identify industrial and societal problems and create solutions through exploring key learning in business start-ups, and venture growth and development,” she said.
Following the negative impacts of the deadly novel COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy and individual livelihoods, Academic City has introduced a special study package to help reduce the financial burden on parents seeking tertiary education for their children this year.
The special study package will include an extended limited period of an early bird tuition reduction of up to 50% for selected programmes. This innovative incentive will apply to both local and foreign students.
Academic City’s elite undergraduate degree programmes in Engineering, Information Technology, Business Administration and Communication Arts are carefully and strategically designed, taking into consideration world-class STEAM education to develop students into becoming more practical, hands-on and productive.
