University of Abuja enterise 

Students attending the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) will now be required to pay a registration fee of N11,000 to officially register their companies with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), according to information gathered by The ICIR. This initiative comes shortly after the university's Vice Chancellor, Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, declared that students must register a company with the commission as a prerequisite for graduation.

The registration process with the CAC provides businesses with legal validity to operate within Nigeria. The certificate of incorporation issued by the commission signifies the business's credibility and legal recognition, facilitating access to loans from financial institutions.

UniAbuja has partnered with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce to train students in establishing their own businesses, aiming to steer them away from relying solely on job searches post-graduation.

The Vice Chancellor emphasized, "Graduation from the University of Abuja now requires having a company registered with CAC. It's a mandatory policy. Even conducting business with the registered company prior to graduation is acceptable."

In an interview with The Cable, the Vice Chancellor explained that the intention behind this policy is to shift students' mindset away from job hunting. Since the announcement, over 1,000 students have completed their registrations.

The ICIR conducted interviews with UniAbuja students to gain insight into the registration process. They confirmed that the basic payment is N11,000, but when using the university's Remita portal for online payments, the total deduction becomes N11,280.

Upon registration, the initial payment generates a Remita Retrieval Reference (RRR) code, which guides students to a registration page where they provide their credentials and business details.

Additionally, it was discovered that students are allowed to register through sources outside the university's designated portal, as long as they obtain the necessary certification. Moreover, the university offers a soft loan through its Microfinance bank to students eager to initiate their businesses immediately.

A student, Abdulwahab Abubakar, explained that this policy will encourage self-reliance rather than job seeking after graduation, as the Vice Chancellor aims to tackle post-graduation unemployment and poverty.

However, some students like Saliu Asmau, a student of Agricultural Economics, expressed concerns over the mandatory nature of the instruction, particularly due to the short deadline for final-year students.