The University was among the first two Universities that topped the list of winners at the maiden Annual National Entrepreneurship Week (ANEW) Ideas Contest, organised by the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. Coming after one of the Universities in Ogun State, FUNAAB had three teams namely: Team Clean-Up Nigeria, Team Innovate! and Team Progressive Minds, where it contested alongside 21 Universities as well as 47 teams across the country. The FUNAAB team was led by the Director, Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (CENTS), Professor Olufemi Onifade and a staff coach from the Directorate of Public Relations, Mr. Olasunkanmi Olajide. Team Progressive Minds was led by Ifeanyi Okpala, a 400L student of the Department of Civil Engineering; Team Innovate! was led by Damola Morenikeji, a 500L student of the Department of Plant Physiology and Crop Production while Team Clean Up Nigeria, was led by Matthew Adebisi, a 400L student of the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics.

In his Keynote Address at the week-long programme, the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, stated that undergraduates in the country should key into the entrepreneurial programmes provided by their Universities in addition to their courses of study. Represented by the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, a former Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, the Minister said the entrepreneurship week was designed to provide Universities with the opportunity of showcasing their research activities by both the faculty members and the students. According to him, “the decision to mobilise efforts in promoting university-industry relationship through entrepreneurship education was to advance the development of the knowledge-based enterprise for the students”. He added that the ANEW 2014 was a clear testimony of NUC’s foresightedness in providing opportunities for mentoring students and allowing them to demonstrate their innovative ideas in solving critical challenges facing their communities.

The Executive Secretary of NUC, who was represented by the Commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Research and Special Projects), Professor Chiedu Mafiana, also a former Director of FUNAAB’s Academic Planning, stated that the ANEW contest was a ground-breaking programme that was aimed at strengthening University-Industry relationship as well as promoting knowledge-based enterprise development. He added that it was a platform that would help strengthen University and Industry collaboration as well as entrench the entrepreneurial culture in students to “Think Business”, rather than looking for employment opportunities or white-collar jobs. Present at the occasion were the Chairman of NUC Board, Senator (Dr.) Ahmadu Ali; the Secretary-General, Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU/CVC), Professor Michael Faborode; a former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Ishaq Oloyede; and captains of industries.