Brief History of the Centre

The Centre started with a grant from MacArthur Foundation worth $850,000 and continued its programmes up to August, 2015 when its activities and that of the NUC Entrepreneurship programme were merged and a director appointed. In pursuance of the mandates of MacArthur Foundation and the NUC, the Centre aims to be a world-class Centre for research and training in Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship and a point of reference in the creation and dissemination of practical knowledge for Global Rural Financial Institutions and Entrepreneurs. The Centre strives to achieve this vision by providing robust resources and expertise that will propel the development of Entrepreneurial mindset and Capacity Building in Rural Finance through Teaching, Research & Training, Networking and Business support services in order to foster innovation and development

Knowing full well that there was a paucity of specialists with the requisite skills and knowledge of Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship in the Country, the Centre embarked on massive Capacity Building/Staff Training locally and abroadTwenty-Nine (29) Staff were trained in different Countries, such as the U.S.A, Italy, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and the Republic of Benin. Based on the mandate of MacArthur, The Centre in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire (Carsey Institute) U.S.A. developed a Modular Course Structure for two postgraduate programmes: an M.Sc in Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship and a professional and blended learning Master Programme in Rural Finance.

In order to address the perennial problem of shortage of Staff Offices and lack of Modern Postgraduate Classes, the Centre constructed the first green building in the University, consisting of word class Conference Hall, a Postgraduate Open Classroom and Work Stations.

The Centre has also successfully constructed the First (1st) ever Improved Rocket Baker’s Oven Technology in Nigeria which was adopted from Uganda with the support (N1 million grant) of Heinrich Boll Stiftung (HBS Nigeria) a German Foundation.

As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Centre in conjunction with Kano State Government carried out series of Workshops on Credit, Product Development and Strategic Plan for the Management of the 44 Microfinance Banks in the State. It also conducted an interactive Seminar on Modernizing Business for some selected business Entrepreneurs in Kano and Kaduna States.

It is our hope that from the development so far recorded from August, 2015, the Centre will not only catch up with well-established Centre’s in other universities in Nigeria, but it will also be one of the best in the country