Last Updated on October 6, 2026 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
… Targets Commercialisation, Skills Acquisition, IGR Generation
By Olatoye Sanusi
The Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (CENTS), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has intensified efforts to strengthen practical skills acquisition, promote entrepreneurship and drive commercialisation with a One-Day capacity-building workshop on the installation, operation and maintenance of newly acquired equipment for its Fashion Designing and Photography Units.
The workshop, themed “Entrepreneurial Capacity Building for Sustainable Development,” was held on September 30, 2026, at the CENTS Complex, FUNAAB, with a focus on equipping staff with the technical expertise required to maximise the potential of the Centre’s new equipment.
Welcoming participants, the Director of CENTS, Prof. Sakiru Akinbode, described the training as a deliberate investment in building staff capacity through practical, interactive and production-oriented learning. He explained that the workshop was designed to ensure the effective installation, operation and maintenance of the state-of-the-art equipment recently acquired through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention.
Highlighting the acquisitions, Prof. Akinbode disclosed that the Fashion and Garment Designing Unit had received an industrial embroidery machine, while the Photography Studio had been upgraded with modern lighting strobes, an i13 laptop, a Canon 6G camera, studio props and other supporting gadgets.
The Director emphasised that CENTS was repositioning itself beyond its traditional mandate of entrepreneurial training towards the commercialisation of its products and services. He noted that the new equipment would provide opportunities to expand practical training, strengthen entrepreneurial competencies and develop commercially viable services.
According to him, “The vision of the Centre has transcended the traditional training mandate. The one mind we have at the Centre is to take the Centre to a higher level. The goal now is to commercialise this new equipment and put it into productive use for enhanced skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development, and for the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) drive of the University, in line with the Management’s vision for a self-sustaining and entrepreneurial University.”
Earlier, the Head of the Technical Training Team, Mr. Yussuf Adeola, who represented the Team Lead, Dr. Yusuf Gbadebo, appreciated the University Management for providing the opportunity to train CENTS staff. He also commended TETFund for supporting the procurement of the equipment, describing the intervention as a strategic investment in practical education, skills development and job creation.
Mr. Adeola introduced the technical team members, comprising Mr. Lukman Olamilekan, who handled the installation and training on fashion designing and embroidery operations, and Mr. Oludare Samuel, who facilitated the photography studio training.
The workshop featured live demonstrations, hands-on installation, equipment test runs, and interactive question-and-answer sessions across both units. Participants received practical guidance on operational procedures, safety measures and equipment maintenance, preparing them to deploy the facilities effectively for training, service delivery and income-generating activities.
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