Revenue Generation Training Workshops were held for 10 Nigerian Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) this February 2016 in Nigeria. These workshops are in line with the current ACE Work Plan.

The objective of the workshops was to equip the Centre Leaders and their colleagues with Revenue Generation Skills that would enable them sustain the ACE activities beyond the lifespan of the current funding scheme that ends in 2019. The ACE Project is funded under the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), funding scheme. IDA provides credits to the governments of countries where the ACEs are located. The IDA loans and grants for projects and programs help boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives.

The training for the 10 ACEs in Nigeria was divided into four sessions due to the number of the ACEs.

1. The first session was for three ACEs – Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta; Obafemi Awolowo University; and the Redeemer’s
   University – and was held in Lagos,
2. The second session was for two ACEs – University of Benin; and University of Port Harcourt – and was held at the compound of the University of Port Harcourt;
3. The remaining two sessions were held at the premises of the National Universities Commission (NUC) of Nigeria, Abuja for five ACEs – Ahmadu Bello University; Bayero University for session one; African University of Science and Technology Abuja; University of Jos; and Benue State University for session two.

The main facilitator for the workshops was Mr. Xavier Michel an International Consultant from Paris, France. He emphasized that no single model could fit all the ACEs because each ACE was different from the others – therefore its revenue generation method or approach should be customised for that ACE.

The outline of the Revenue Generation training included:
1) Revenue Generation Fundamentals
2) Analysis of the Environment and Market
3) Review of sample ACE Business Plans, Organisational Issues, Human Resource Issues and Action Plans

Please download the Revenue Generation Presentation FROM HERE

AAU is the Regional Facilitating Unit for the phase one of the Africa Centres of Excellence Project and Professor Jonathan Mba is the Coordinator for this Project.