NORTHWEST INCUBATION CENTRE (NWIC) KANO – THE HUB FOR NOUN YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
Welcome to the North West Incubation Centre, Kano.
North West Incubation Centre was established in May 2017and is among the seven incubation centres of the Directorate for Entrepreneurship and General Studies (DE&GS), National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). It was set up by the management to cater for NOUN community needs with an emphasis on students to explore, develop and deliver their entrepreneurial dream and be job creators with basic lifelong skills while studying with the university from the North-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
About the Centre
NWIC is situated within the Kano Study Centre, Sauna-Kano. Kano State is the most populous Nigerian state and the second-largest industrial centre known for textile, tanning, footwear, plastics, ceramics, and other industries located in the North-West zone. Primarily, the centre assigned task is to identify those with innovative ideas in the zone through a course titled Business Creation and Growth (GST302). The centre is fully equipped with modern equipment needed by promising entrepreneurs in the area of fashion design, salon and knitting.
At the end of every semester successful students are harvested from GST302 Business Creation and Growth business ideas proposal and presentation based on the innovative and creative presented to come and enjoy the bundle opportunities available at the Incubation Centre be it in form of Resident or Non-resident incubatees that can spend up to 36 months fully incubating their proposed business plans.
The centre was mandated to serve and cater for study centres in the zone which include;
- BichiCommunuty Study Centre
- Dambatta Community Study Centre
- Dawakin Kudu Study Centre
- DawakinTofa Community Study Centre
- Dutse Study Centre
- Fagge Community Study Centre
- Gabasawa Community Study Centre
- Gusau Study Centre
- Gwarzo Community Study Centre
- Hadejia Community Study Centre
- Kabo Community Study Centre
- Kaduna Special Study Centre Nigeria Airforce
- Kaduna Study Centre
- Kagoro Community Study Centre
- Kano Study Centre
- Katsina Study Centre
- Kebbi Study Centre BirninKebbi
- Kunchi Community Study Centre
- Kwaciri Community Study Centre
- Masari Community Study Centre
- Nigerian Correctional Services Study Centre, Kaduna
- RiminGado Community Study Centre
- Shanono Community Study Centre
- Tsanyawa Community Study Centre
- Sokoto Study Centre
Functions and Activities
NWIC is saddled with the responsibilities for coordinating all the activities in the incubation centre especially to:
- Ensure the available facilities and equipment are in good order.
- Coordinate students’ Business Creation and Growth activities in the zone.
- Identify the most suitable and successful entrepreneurs in the zone.
- Allocate suitable space within the centre for the Resident incubatees and ensure adequate coordination of Non-residents incincubatee in the business incubation period.
- Provide guidance, mentorship and set by set follow-up of the incubatees for them to excel while undergoing the incubation period at the centre.
- Organize training of all kinds as relating to the entrepreneurship needs and desire.
- Monitor and respond to students needs physical and virtually.
- Identify individuals, corporations, agencies etc. the DE&GS can network with specifically for incubatees’ benefits and NOUN at large.
Mechanism for Action
To ensure NOUN adhere to the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity the Directorate for Entrepreneurship and General Studies mandated the centre to select the target goals and organize students to respond through their business ideas proposal and presentation to contribute their quota to make the planet sustainable for all especially through various forms of entrepreneurial activities. Therefore among the 17 SDG, the Centre focuses only on the four goals; Gaol 1 No Poverty, Goal 2 Zero Hunger (hunger and food security), Goal 9 Industry, innovation, and infrastructure (infrastructure development such as water management, transport, energy and information communication technology and health education) and Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. Therefore, students are at liberty to select any and relate their business plans to ensure it is anchored along the targeted SGDs for the North West Incubation Centre, followed by the well-structured and mandatory presentations physically or virtually.
Facilities and equipment
- A well-furnished Virtual Laboratory equipped with computers, a projector, smartboard, and internet service.
- Assorted Hairdryers, stemmers for hairdressing salons.
- Clippers (manual & electric), for gents barbing.
- Assorted sewing machines, for dressmaking.
Incubatees
Present Incubatees at the NWIC, Kano include; Residents (In-house) 5 and Non-residents (Out-door) 20, the total number of 25 Incubatee sat the Centre enjoying the available equipment as relating to their business ideas.
Achievements
- Setting up 4 sections at the centre and advocating NOUN for entrepreneurship activities in the zone.
- Anchoring and establishing contact with practising entrepreneurs in the zone.
- Facilitating Business Names Registration with Corporate Affairs Commission.
- Facilitating online registration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
- Developing a platform for virtual entrepreneurship education and practice.
- Have 25 Incubatees that are mentored and followed up at different levels.
- Have successfully changed the entrepreneurial mindset of the students more especially including those that are working class.
- The centre through NOUN-CBN/NIRSAL training has been advocating universities in the zone NIRSAL as Entrepreneurship Development Institute
- Produced a joint banner/roll up and was put at the NIRSAL Kano premises to create awareness.
- Records of students’ diversification of creative and innovative ideas by giving them opportunities to present their business ideas and participate in the entrepreneurship fair.
- Mentorship and follow up of trainees with creative and innovative ideas.
Human Resources
1. Mr. SadiqMurtala Mansur Coordinator
2. Mr SagirShafiuSalisu Administrative Officer I
3. Mr. Lawal Yusuf Ibrahim Database Administrator I
4. Mr Mubraka Ismail Usman Administrative Officer II
5. Mr. NasiruMudi Senior Conf. Secretary
6. Mr. Lawal Yusuf Ibrahim Database Administrator I
7. Mr Usama A. Zubairu Higher Executive Officer (Account)
8. Mrs Halima Bello Bashir Assistant Executive Officer
9. Mr DaudaHashim Yusuf Assistant Executive Officer
10. Mrs Maryam Ali Assistant Executive Officer
11. Mr Musbahu Musa Assistant Executive Officer
12. Mr Ibrahim Musa Assistant Executive Officer
13. Mr Sadi Ali Sulaiman Assistant Executive Officer
14. Mr ShamsuddeenSa’idu Assistant Executive Officer
15. Mrs SaudatMagajiKankarofi Assistant Executive Officer
16. Mr Shehu Musa Bala Clerical Officer
17. Mr Mu’azu Mohammad Clerical Officer
18. Mr GarbaHaruna Senior Environmental Attendant (Cleaner)
The Centre was strategically located by the NOUN management in Kano state which easily network all the study centres in the zone as the second most populous state that everybody wants to visit especially for business purposes and tourism as the centre of commerce.
Thank you! You can reach out to us 24/7 via:
Mr. SadiqMurtala Mansur
Zonal Coordinator, North West Incubation Centre
+2348028448292
