Bowen University of the Nigerian Baptist Convention radically challenged the status-quo recently when it formally launched its specialized Innovation and Entrepreneurship Revolution Hub, at a week-long embracive and activity-packed programme on the Campus of the University.
Whereas the robust package included other activities, the icing on the Cake was the Executive Session on 10th April, 2019 which involved intensive practical expositions of secrets to creating and nurturing a very successful Start-up Businesses by invited reputable Technopreneurs and Entrepreneurs who have left positive indelible mark on the industry and unveiling of a high-end Campus Security Solution developed by Bowen students.
The University Vice-Chancellor Professor Joshua Ogunwole through the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Akande reiterated that Bowen University has completely re-engineered the students learning and empowerment from mere academic excellence, to a more holistic bundle which includes academic excellence and practical-based entrepreneurship and innovation skills acquisition.
He said Bowen University products are now better positioned through the integrated entrepreneurship scheme so as not to be mere job-seekers on graduation but wealth creators.
The esteemed invited dignitaries and organizations included: Dr Femi Oyenuga of ORACLE (ECEMEA architecture innovation and strategy); Mr Macauley Atasie, the Founder/ CEO of Nextzon Organization, Mr Tim Akano, MD/CEO New Horizons Nigeria, and Mr Samuel Ekpe, an ex-Bowenite who is the Co-founder and CEO of Plato Hub.
Two major highlights of the day were: the unveiling of the e-Security Campus Solution developed by the Bowen students under New Horizons mentorship. Speaking on the utility of the e-Security solution, one of the Project team members, Akinluwa Mercy, a 200-level student of Medicine and surgery said the solution has the capacity to tackle campus security and other related challenges in the school environs.
The second related activity that stole the day was the Projects Ideas award offers by the MD/CEO of New Horizons, in which he offered $6,000 to the 3 best students’ problem-solving Project Ideas that are capable of helping the university, country and the world at large.
Akano commended the students for being teachable when being mentored by New Horizons on the security project, and that as undergraduates they have to be innovative and ready to solve problems rather than complain about the situation in their environment.
He said being a Partner to the University, New Horizons as the largest IT Training Organization in the world with deep and global experience in technology, will support the Bowen Entrepreneurship & Technology Hub as an annual event, in which project development mentorship as well as project showcase to invited reputable industry practitioners who can adopt any projects that may be useful to their organizations, as well as support with funding and projects commercialization will be the hallmark.
In the same vein, Dr Olusanya affirmed that the 4th industrial revolution pervading the world is about transformational technology which is driven by 5G, block chain tech, internet of things, and artificial intelligence. He said if summarized in a language that all will understand, it means that the problems of transportation, agriculture and industry can now be solved with artificial intelligence and that technopreneurship is the way to go for the present generation.
Contributing, Okechukwu of Nextzon, said the organization was ready to package the worthy Projects developed by the students in such a way that reputable Investors will actively give reasonable financial sponsorship and backing that will ensure successful commercialization of the developed projects.
On a very elated mood, Samuel the CEO of Plato Hub and a former student of the University carefully tutored his junior colleagues on how to weather the storm and emerge successful in entrepreneurial adventure, based on his experiences during his navigation to become a successful Technopreneur.
At the event, New Horizon instituted a $6,000 prize for the best student’s project developed by students of Bowen university under the scheme tagged START-UP CAMPUS (SUC). The SUC is a New Horizons solution to the problem of graduate unemployed where university undergraduates will be mentored by New Horizons to start businesses on campus and New Horizons will help finance the instinct concept and also giving the students and their projects to the door-step of Angel investors.
The new Horizons SUC will be extended to remaining 16 universities where New Horizons has partnership with, but Bowen students are the first beneficiaries.
According to New Horizons CEO, Tim Akano, the SUC is the ……. antidote to graduates unemployment. We are determined as the universities ICT partner, to help implant the “Start-up-spirit” in the DIVA of the undergraduates just like their conterparts in Isreal, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong kong and China and USA”.
Akano concluded: “we are absolutely convinced that this initiative will create high wealth for Nigerians its Multiplier effects on the citizens cannot be overemphasised, by this development, BOWEN University can now be referred to as the first START-UP CAMPUS in Nigeria, the way Isreal is referred to as START-UP-NATION”