NEWSLETTER | OCTOBER 2024

Welcome to our Newsletter. Learn more about the Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship on Entrepreneurship.

The Jim Leech Mastercard Foundation Fellowship (JL MCF) on Entrepreneurship gives African students and recent graduates the opportunity to access training, resources, financial support and a network of mentors to develop their entrepreneurial skills and start building their own venture. 

The 8-month program develops the exceptional entrepreneurial skillset and mindset of leaders to drive social and financial impact. 

The event will provide more information about the Fellowship, its benefits and how to apply. It is organized by the Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre at Queen's University (DDQIC) and hosted by Future Perspectives and the Centre of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (CEED) at the University of Maiduguri.

Info session will take place at the Abdul Samad Rabiu International Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on October 19, 2024, at 11am.

If unable to attend in person, zoom details are as follows: Meeting ID: 821 9365 3788, Passcode: 525223.

To attend the info session, please sign up below.

The keynote address will be from Prof. Mohammed Dauda, the Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development (CEED) at the University of Maiduguri. The Centre’s home is currently in the newly built Abdul Samad Rabiu International Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. This was a N1 Billion donation by Abdul Samad Rabiu to foster the growth and advancement of innovation and entrepreneurship among students and researchers.

In addition, the University has been selected as a location of UNDP’s timbuktoo UniPod. The aim of the UniPod is to transform universities into centres of innovation and entrepreneurship. There will be seven (7) universities in Nigeria to establish a UniPod.

The Dunin-Deshpande Innovation Centre at Queen’s University (DDQIC) International Program Manager, Megan Sieroka will speak on the impact of the Fellowship on African youth.

Abby Asekun, Co-Founder of Future Perspectives will discuss its strategic partnership with DDQIC and the University of Maiduguri’s CEED to empower young Nigerians in Northern Nigeria through entrepreneurship and innovation.

Segun Oluwaleti, a JL MCF Fellow of the 2021 cohort and Muhammad Bintube, a JL MCF Fellow of the 2023 cohort will share their experiences participating in the program. Both Muhammad and Segun are Future Perspectives Coaches on entrepreneurship. Muhammad is a recent graduate from the University of Maiduguri.

DDQIC has implemented a multifaceted approach rooted in extensive research to foster greater female representation within the program and ensure their success.

They’ve conducted interviews with program alumni to gain valuable insights, introduced female mentors and alumni into the program to provide guidance and inspiration, and facilitated connections between female founders and female program coaches.

These strategies aim to empower and support women on their entrepreneurial journey, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and thriving ecosystem for all participants.

To apply for the Fellowship, use the link below. Applications for the 2025 cohort are now open and will close on December 4, 2024.

“A major strength of the Nigerian economy lies in the innovation and entrepreneurship of its young people.”  Prof. Yemi Osinbajo