By Dennis Agbo
A lecturer at Godfrey Okoye University, GOUNI, Enugu, Mr. Christopher Uwakwe has won an international certification award in Students Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion – Sustainability (STEP-S).
STEP-S is a four-year (2024-2027) collaborative initiative between Godfrey Okoye University (Nigeria), Leuphana University (Germany), Mount Kenya University (Kenya), and the University of Venda (South Africa) to integrate aspects of sustainable entrepreneurship into the STEP program. The project’s objective is to advance the understanding of the drivers of sustainable entrepreneurship in the African regional context.
The Master Trainer certificate was bestowed on Uwakwe by Prof. Michael Gielnik of the Leuphana University Germany, represented by Ms. Janina Peschmann at the Mount Kenya University where the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi lauded Godfrey Okoye University in Nigeria for its partnership in promoting sustainable entrepreneurship through the STEP program in Africa.
Uwakwe emerged as the first- STEP-S Master Trainer in the West Africa region, achieved within one year of launching the SDG-Partnership projects funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
Uwakwe’s certification as Master Trainer came shortly after he successfully facilitated the STEP-S Train-the-Trainer (TTT) workshop in March 2025 as the Lead Trainer at Mount Kenya University, Kenya, where he trained 12 faculty members on the STEP-S implementation strategy.
To qualify as a master Trainer on the STEP-S project, Uwakwe participated in several Train-the-Trainer Workshops, international conferences, and research workshops across the globe, including in Germany, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Earlier in February 2025, Uwakwe represented Godfrey Okoye University in the Train-the-Trainer workshop at the University of Venda, South Africa, where faculty members of the university were trained to support the implementation of the STEP-S program for postgraduate students.
Receiving Uwakwe in Nigeria, the Vice-Chancellor of GOUNI, Rev. Fr. Prof. Christian Anieke, expressed delight over Mr Uwakwe’s achievements and commended his dedication and hard work that brought honour to the university and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to the STEP-S mission.
Speaking on the award, the recipient, Uwakwe stated that together with the team at Leuphana University, the African partners will promote sustainable entrepreneurship among Secondary Schools, undergraduate, and postgraduate (Msc & PhD) students.
“The goal is to mitigate the challenge of unemployment in the Global South. So far on the project, Godfrey Okoye University has achieved milestones such as empowering 80 student teachers, providing interest-free startup capital for sustainable business ideas, training two staff at international PhD research workshops; Training and certifying 12 faculty members in the STEP-S train-the-trainer workshop,” Uwakwe said.
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