A documentary highlighting the uniqueness and impact of Entrepreneurship at the American University of Nigeria has been completed and is ready for public screening.
Titled "Unique Entrepreneurship Education at AUN: An Untold Story," the concept and production of the documentary is a collaboration between the AUN Marketing and Communication Department and the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE).
The 28-minute documentary highlights the University's philosophy as an entrepreneurship-focused institution, with a mission to develop the critical life skills of Nigerian and African youths beyond the classroom, exposing them to real-world skills that will empower them to exceptional lives in a rapidly changing world. "One of my main goals in founding the American University of Nigeria is to deploy entrepreneurship as a catalyst to unleash the creative genius of Nigerian youths," His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, the University's Founder, stated in the documentary.
Plans have been concluded to screen the documentary on major national television networks. It will also be available on YouTube and other social media channels.
The Senior Director, Public Affairs and Community Relations, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed, Dean of SBE, Professor Leo Ukpong, and Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, Dr. Hassan Yusuf, coordinated the successful production of the documentary, which gave voices to AUN alums and prominent leaders of the Adamawa business community to narrate how the University's entrepreneurship engagements have impacted their lives and transformed the business sector in the region.
The interim president of AUN, Professor Attahiru Yusuf, stated that the university administration is diligently working to realize the founder's vision by deploying all the techniques and technology necessary to create the next generation of business leaders.
"We view entrepreneurship here as a process, a process that involves identifying opportunities in the society, marshaling the necessary resources, and exploiting these opportunities to create value for the society”, stated the Professor of Entrepreneurship Management and former Group Executive Director of NNPC.
Dean Ukpong, explained that SBE provides all AUN students, regardless of their majors, with a preparatory experience in entrepreneurship that equips them to navigate the uncertain future after graduation. "We do this through a one-year classroom and hands-on training program for the students." This, according to him, exposes the students to key entrepreneurial skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, reasonable risk-taking, self-motivation, financial responsibility, and teamwork.
Some of the University's alums explained that from the entrepreneurship education they received at AUN, they have gone beyond understanding how to create a business; it has also helped them improve their ability to anticipate and respond to societal changes. "AUN gives you a perspective of the real world before you get there," said Aisha Augie, class of 2021 law major.
The graduates are highly satisfied with the AUN model of education because it gave them the skills to start businesses based on their passion, hobbies, skills, or chosen careers. They are self-starters, venture capitalists, self-motivated entrepreneurs, job creators. AUN prepares students to think entrepreneurship and to develop the critical skills to take beyond dreaming, to actually own and run their own businesses. The AUN model is perfect-fit for succession planning in family businesses. Many AUN graduates are successfully managing their parents’ enterprises and expanding the empires they inherited, keeping the family wealth safe and prosperous, from one generation to another.
"At AUN, entrepreneurship was practical, it was hands-on, and the university allowed us to set up a business in real time, and to excel," said Idris Mamman, former SGA president, and member of the class of 2018.
Alumnus Soji Abolarin thinks that one way to reduce unemployment in Nigeria is to copy the AUN model of entrepreneurship education. He stated that if such a model can work in Yola and transform the town into a more prosperous community, he sees no reason why it cannot be replicated across Nigeria.
The documentary also depicts how entrepreneurial education drives the University's development philosophy which aims at improving the socio-economic well-being of Nigerians and beyond.
Several people in the community were trained and provided with entrepreneurial skills. According to the Director General of the Adamawa State Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Sini Mariye Lele, AUN has revolutionized the state and helped reduce unemployment. "The state has recorded a minimum of 20% in the growth of industries, notably small-scale businesses," he added. He said the state's unemployment rate had decreased because the business are picking up, thanks to the vision and commitment of His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, Waziri Adamawa. The AUN Community will be duly notified when the documentary will be aired and in which television channels.
Reported by Yusuf Mohammed