Promoting entrepreneurship as key to sustainable development, we offer:
- NCU Town and Resort: The NCU Town and Resort is envisioned as an innovative hub that not only supports academic excellence but also fosters entrepreneurship and economic growth. By integrating world-class facilities with indigenous cultural insights, the resort aims to inspire entrepreneurial ventures aligned with local and global needs. Key features include:
✔️Business Incubator and Innovation Hub: This space will nurture startups and entrepreneurs by providing resources like mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to funding. It will focus on ventures that promote cultural heritage, eco-friendly technologies, and sustainable practices.
✔️Skill Development Workshops: We will conduct workshops that offer training in business management, sustainable practices, and indigenous industries. These sessions aim to equip participants with skills to innovate and effectively manage businesses.
✔️Collaborative Spaces: Designed to encourage creativity, these areas offer students, researchers, and local entrepreneurs places to collaborate on projects, develop prototypes, and explore new ideas that can contribute to economic development.
✔️Local and International Markets: The resort will feature a marketplace where entrepreneurs can showcase and sell products, fostering a connection between local artisans and international buyers.
The NCU Town and Resort is envisioned as a vibrant reflection of Nigerian indigenous culture, serving not only as an academic hub but also as hub of culture, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. It aims to captivate Igbo people and other Nigerian indigenous groups both locally and in the diaspora, igniting a revival in our local language, culture, education, spirituality, and enterprise. This center will strive to nurture the next generation of citizens who are deeply aware of their cultural identity, countering centuries of epistemic erosion with a conscious and enlightened approach to true development. The resort will serve as a catalyst for creating new business opportunities and driving socio-economic development in the community.
- Mentorship and Apprenticeship Initiatives: In addition to the NCU Town and Resort initiative, the foundation places strong emphasis on mentoring as a powerful tool for fostering entrepreneurship. The university will integrate mentorship into the core curriculum, aiming to uphold traditional values while shaping students’ character and intellect through the guidance of seasoned mentors. We plan to enlist accomplished professionals and business leaders to share their expertise thereby enabling students to gain real-world skills across various fields.
The foundation is committed to sharing the spiritual and cultural elements of the Igbo educational model globally through its mentoring approach. This will highlight the unique Igbo approach to entrepreneurship, such as the ‘igba boi,’ practice, distinguishing it from existing global educational and entrepreneurial systems. The university’s business and entrepreneurial endeavors will follow these foundational principles, presenting a distinctive Igbo educational and entrepreneurship paradigm to the world.
Business and industry entities will be strategically located within or near the university town and resort, offering students immersive mentoring experiences pertinent to their academic pursuits. If on-campus hosting isn’t feasible, the university will collaborate with prominent industry clusters such as Onitsha main market and Emeka Offor plaza, ensuring students access essential mentorship. This experiential learning model emphasizes critical self-assessment and cultivates independent thinking, aligned with the Igbo mentoring traditions rooted in cultural and spiritual values. Graduates will emerge equipped to become mentors and leaders in their own right.
Each academic department will foster partnerships with businesses or industries, facilitating direct mentorship while also generating revenue. Participating students will not only acquire knowledge and mentoring but may also benefit financially, learning the intrinsic value of money and aligning traditional systems with contemporary practices. We are ensuring that our graduates will leave university ready to set up their own businesses and not contribute to the unemployment statistics.
Mentorship and Apprenticeship Initiatives: Real-world skill acquisition through partnerships with industry leaders, focusing on Igbo cultural models as well as other indigenous Nigerian culture.