Godfrey Okoye University (GOUNI), Enugu, has been awarded an N90 million grant by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to promote sustainable entrepreneurship. The funding will support a project aimed at introducing sustainable entrepreneurship courses, in collaboration with international institutions.
During the university’s 12th convocation ceremony, Vice Chancellor Rev. Fr. Christian Anieke announced the grant, which will facilitate a research and teaching project running from 2024 to 2027. The project will involve partnerships with Leuphana University in Germany, Mount Kenya University, and the University of Venda in South Africa.
“The focus is on introducing sustainable entrepreneurship courses that will be jointly executed with our international partners,” said Anieke, outlining the collaboration’s objectives.
Additional Empowerment Initiatives for Students
In addition to the N90 million grant, GOUNI has secured €12,000 for its Student Training for Entrepreneurship Promotion (STEP) project. The university’s Directorate of Entrepreneurship (DOE) has also launched an incubation hub to support student ventures.
Anieke shared that the university mobilized N8 million as seed funding for micro businesses under the STEP initiative. “N7 million has been allocated to faculty members trained as STEP trainers,” he said. “The establishment of STEP has been enriching for both staff and students, and the addition of the incubation hub strengthens our efforts to promote entrepreneurship.”
Key Developments at Godfrey Okoye University
Further enhancing its academic offerings, GOUNI has mandated that all lecturers must hold a PhD to be eligible for teaching positions, starting from the 2025-2026 academic session. This policy aligns with the National Universities Commission’s guidelines and aims to elevate academic standards at the institution.
Additionally, the Federal Government announced on September 6, 2024, that federal universities and research institutions will no longer be required to deposit third-party research grant funds into the Treasury Single Account (TSA). This move will grant universities more financial autonomy, allowing them to manage their research funds directly, which is expected to spur greater innovation and research across the country.
