Network for African Student Entrepreneurs (NASE) Promotes Entrepreneurship In Nigerian Students

What can you tell us about NASE and what it does?

The Network for African Student Entrepreneurs (NASE) is a network which brings together students who are interested in entrepreneurship from our various universities in Nigeria and, indeed, Africa. It is a platform through which information and resources pertaining to entrepreneurship can be obtained. You can source for articles from leading entrepreneurs, discuss matters across borders through the website of the network which was launched recently – www.nase-kasu.net. During the speech of the Minister of Trades and Investment, he said that the new drive of the UNIDEP (Universities’ Development Programme), which is aimed at powering universities will use the NASE to fulfill some of its objectives.

Also, the NASE will seek from bodies like this, the SMEDAN – as you know, the FG has programmes aimed at industrialisation and poverty alleviation - and we hope to cash in on this – and engage in symposia, roadshows, all aimed at creating the desired consciousness among graduates on considering the angle of entrepreneurship. This is one of the factors which caused the federal government to move to enshrine the teaching of entrepreneurship in our curriculum. The aim is, apart from teaching, to impart it into the lives of the students through development centres which NASE is part of.

We are proud of the Kaduna State University, which will host the NASE on behalf of other state universities.Students have also been asked to create NASE clubs in their schools. These clubs will be the ones to register with the network (www.nase-kasu.net). The importance of this is that individuals cannot register; they can only come in with club identities which had been factored in the website. We believe that in the nearest future, we will see the fruits of NASE.

 Talking about club identities; are they registering in terms of universities or universally? Will that of the KASU be different from, say, that of the ABU, UNICAL and UNN?

Yes, each club will be able to create its own identity and the club will have its own focus based on what the reality is in their immediate environments. However, the clearing house will be the NASE, which provides the opportunity for them to inter-lock with clubs in various parts of the country and in Africa. Make no mistake: NASE is not just a social medium; it is a social medium with a difference. This is because it gives you information which you, otherwise, would have been acquiring from different sources. It puts the information directly on your table, and gives you opportunity to relate to those who matter, as far as entrepreneurship is concerned. It also promises to partake in the federal government’s transformational agenda, particularly, the SURE-P and YouWin initiatives, through which the government can make an impact in the lives of the young people.

How can this be sustained, given that students are not permanent in these universities - with a time-frame of four to five years, depending on the course?

There are always students, and you can belong to any network you wish, and if, at any point, you feel you are not interested anymore, you can opt out. The clubs are permanent, though the students are not. What we are considering, in order to obtain sustainability, is partnership. If there are FG or NGO programmes all the time, you can be sure that sustainability will be there. There is a lot of potential in this programme and, by and large, it can sustain itself. Students on the network can advertise their products for a token fee. We have to look for how to raise funds. In the mean time, we are hosting the secretariat and will keep it going until such a time when it becomes self-sustaining. 

What is NASE’s general strategy?

Our structure is to invite unrestricted partnership. If we are able to get enough partnership, it can help us to sustain ourselves, but we will engage in symposia, lectures and direct exchange of ideas between students – both real and virtual – will be vigorously pursued. This will enable information to reach one side and funding through partnership. Our role, therefore, is to disseminate information effectively and source for partnership. 

How can you supervise the students?

Each student comes from a club – you must not forget this – and for now, the network places before you the kind of information you need. When you have this information, you are supposed to use it to your advantage. What they need is not supervision per se, but the right information and environment. Remember, they are being taught entrepreneurship in their classrooms and they are getting practical information. When you add both angles, the club begins to play a role in the lives of the students. Obviously, from the foregoing, every club has its role and strategy.
NASE was launched recently, in collaboration with the ministries of Education and Trade and Investment, and SMEDAN, but will they offer these young persons loans?
We can say, officially, that this is the beginning. So, things can be worked out in the future. The FG has a lot of micro-credit schemes and we can latch onto any of them for the students to benefit from. An example is the YouWin scheme, which provides funding to graduates with acceptable proposals. Clearly, we believe that this is something the NASE can benefit from. We should be able to source for funding for the students beyond now.

Don’t you think that the NASE is a duplication of the SURE-P, YouWin programmes?

It is no duplication. The difference between this and the YouWin is that money is disbursed to recent graduates, while the SURE-P disburses money to state governments to recruit less-opportune people who can contribute positively to the programme. NASE is aiming to become an effective vehicle through which the financial assistance can be disbursed to particular sectors of the society. YouWin has components for recent graduates, but no consideration for students, but NASE is a vehicle to reach out to this huge class – young people – who play a large-than-life role in our development of our economy. There is no conflict, in anyway. NASE is going to serve as a vehicle for carrying any meaningful objective of either the SURE-P or YouWin to the right people.

Is NASE limited to students of the universities or is it extended to students of polytechnics and colleges of education?

The initial concept was to carry along only students from the university. Once NASE gets off, we believe we can accommodate students from other tertiary institutions.

What is the main objective of NASE?

The main objective is to create a platform for interaction for information and resource sourcing – this resource could be funding, information – for students or recent graduates who may be inclined towards entrepreneurship. The ultimate goal is to create a new crop of entrepreneurs amongst our youths who have potential and from whose hands the Nigerian economy will spring forth. The future lies in the hands of NASE and the success of NASE translates into the success of the Nigerian economy.

What is the structure of the board of NASE?

NASE has a board of trustees, of which I am chairman. It is made up of the executive secretary of the Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC), Dr. Ishaku Ango from Kaduna State University, representative of Covenant University, representative of the Bayero University (BUK), director of students support services, NUC, Hajiya Wadi, and the secretariat where the head of NASE resides. We have a centre for development of entrepreneurial studies in the Kaduna State University, a network administrator, an administrative secretary and the student representatives.

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