Where we are

Highlighted below is the current position of the Babcock Entrepreneurship Development Centre (BEDC).

Personnel

The Centre currently has a director, a finance manager, an operations manager and a secretary. The Centre also operates the following vocations (skills) with each vocation having a trainer who is usually contracted when their attention is needed;

1. Catering and events management,
2. Soap and allied products making,
3. Creative photography,
4. Online/digital marketing,
5. Garment/fashion design,
6. Hair styling and weaving,
7. Film and TV production as well as
8. Shoe and leather works.
9. Tie and dye

Location (Office Space)

Currently the Centre is temporarily located in a wing of the BU old staff school. The Centre tries to maximize the small space available for the skill acquisition practicals for the entire final year students who take entrepreneurship as a GEDS course. The structure is inadequate and insufficient for the strategic direction of the BEDC.

Activities

Currently, the BEDC coordinates the vocational learning, which is the practical arm of the entrepreneurship course taken by the students in their final year. The Business Administration department facilitates the theoretical teaching of the course. 

The Centre also has some products (soap, aprons, garments, etc) commercially available to the Babcock University environment.

Where we are going

We recognize the fact that Rome was not built in a day, and we cannot become an entrepreneurial university as soon as we start. However, the intentionality must be obvious right from the onset.

We plan to commence operations in the next school year (2022/2023 session) along some aspects of the OECD framework, as well as fully deploying the NUC’s guideline.

In line with the third framework on “Entrepreneurship development in teaching and learning” McDonald (2022) highlights the following objectives of entrepreneurship education, which the BEDC will work towards;

1. Develop in our students and recipients, the necessary traits and skill for entrepreneurship.

The following traits and skills form the foundation for entrepreneurship;

1. Creativity: Innovative ideas and creative problem solving are absolutely essential for entrepreneurs. Creativity also applies to business promotion techniques and ideas for further refining and developing an endeavor’s focus.
2. Curiosity: Most entrepreneurs possess an innate curiosity. Budding entrepreneurs need to possess the habit of being curious about things.
3. Outgoing nature: Not everyone is an extrovert however, entrepreneurs need to be able to confidently engage with others, pitch their ideas, and be ready to compete.
4. Patience: While ambition and quick decision-making are important for entrepreneurs, so is patience. Success can take time, so lack of patience with a process can cause someone to risk making reactionary decisions that don’t consider the bigger picture.
5. Resilience: Things happen, both good and bad. An entrepreneur should be able to roll with the punches, and not panic or overreact. Entrepreneurs remember that every setback presents a learning opportunity.

Risk tolerance: Entrepreneurship, in itself, is a risky business hence, an entrepreneur needs to be comfortable with accepting some level of risks at all times.