Bingham Varsity CIELS Holds Maiden Venture Exhibition to Promote Student Innovation
Our Correspondent
The Centre for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Studies (CIELS) of Bingham University has hosted its maiden Venture Exhibition, showcasing student-run businesses in fashion, confectionery, manufacturing, beauty care and other sectors to promote entrepreneurship and job creation.
The exhibition, held on campus, brought together members of the University management, industry partners, government agencies, staff, students and the media to assess student innovations and strengthen industry-academia collaboration.
Declaring the event open, Vice Chancellor Prof. Haruna Kuje Ayuba said Bingham University is focused on producing graduates who are “not only academically sound but also equipped with practical skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.”
Represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof. Musa Dankyau, Prof. Ayuba said, “As you cannot be a leader without being innovative, you also cannot be a leader without being an entrepreneur.”
He urged exhibitors to engage customers, listen to feedback and refine their business ideas.
The DVC added that there is a “significant difference between merely acquiring education and receiving quality education,” noting that the University’s vision is to graduate job creators and drivers of national development.
In his welcome address, CIELS Director Dr. Sabastine Abu described the exhibition as a “celebration of creativity, resilience, and enterprise” aimed at bridging classroom learning with real-world business opportunities.
He said students had undergone training in design thinking, business development and leadership, which resulted in ventures in confectionery, fashion, footwear, healthy beverages, household products and other areas.
Dr. Abu also acknowledged the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for supporting entrepreneurship development through skills acquisition programmes and the SUPA initiative.
In a keynote address on the topic “From Hands to Heritage: Students Building Nigeria’s Future,” Mrs. Na’anpoe Shwatshak, Assistant Director and Head of Training, Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Lafia Area Office, said entrepreneurship and vocational skills are critical to national development.
She urged students to remain consistent, learn from customer feedback and build sustainable ventures capable of creating jobs.
Mrs. Shwatshak noted Bingham University’s “unique advantage” of combining “character with competence” to produce graduates with integrity and strong values.
In goodwill messages, Amb. Bulus Lolo commended students for developing marketable products and encouraged them to “think beyond job seeking.”
Dr. Usman Jibir, Director of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, Mewar International University, also applauded the University and called for sustained momentum in entrepreneurship training.
The event featured an exhibition tour led by Prof. Dankyau, during which guests inspected student products in fashion and design, photography, shoe and bag making, beauty services, and confectionery.
Students of the Event Management Unit also staged cultural performances depicting Igbo and Hausa traditional marriage rites.
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