Last Updated on September 18, 2025 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
By Olaoye Oyewole & Wuraola Dada
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has announced plans to institutionalise the Inspire-Create-Start-Scale (ICSS) entrepreneurship modules into its curriculum to strengthen enterprise development and innovation.
This was affirmed today, September 15, 2025, at the Opening Ceremony of the 4-Day ICSS Train-the-Trainers Workshop, held at the Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (CENTS), and facilitated by GOPA Worldwide Consultants GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, with the support of the German Development Agency (GIZ). The programme was designed to equip selected facilitators and coaches with the skills to embed ICSS entrepreneurship modules into teaching and practice at the University.
Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi, expressed appreciation to GIZ and GOPA for their continuous support. He noted that discussions on the ICSS have reached the institutionalisation stage, assuring that the initiative would empower participants with practical skills to drive innovation and economic growth.
The Vice-Chancellor also called on GOPA to expand opportunities for free training of trainers and coaches to deepen FUNAAB’s entrepreneurial partnerships. He urged participants to pay close attention to the sessions and maximise the benefits of the programme.
In his remarks, GOPA Team Lead, Mr. Peik Bruhns, described the training as a vital platform for enterprise development, commending FUNAAB as a frontier institution in entrepreneurship studies and one of only two ICSS and MSME Development Ecosystem partners in Ogun State. He congratulated participants for being the last set to enjoy free ICSS training under the current programme.
Speaking also at the event, the Dean, College of Biosciences (COLBIOS) and FUNAAB’s ICSS Technical Coordinator, Prof. Iyabode Kehinde, encouraged participants to stay committed, assuring them of ICSS-FUNAAB’s readiness to support and expand entrepreneurial skills within the University.
Corroborating the Dean, Director of CENTS, Prof. Emily Ayo-John, lauded GOPA’s collaboration, noting that the training would foster a sustainable entrepreneurial culture and create an enabling environment for MSMEs to thrive. She emphasised that University Management has consistently supported CENTS in delivering on its mandate.
In his Goodwill Message, Director of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Dr. Olabisi Baiyewu, expressed optimism that the training would inspire transformative approaches to entrepreneurship education and development.
With this milestone, FUNAAB has further demonstrated its commitment to building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and serving as a driver of enterprise and MSME growth in Ogun State and beyond.
