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About the Program The Entrepreneurship Education Program (AEP) is ICDA's flagship initiative and the foundation of our 30-year legacy of development work across Nigeria. As the designated Implementing Agency for the Central Bank of Nigeria's South East Entrepreneurship Development Centre (CBN-SEEDC), ICDA manages entrepreneurship development operations across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. Our approach is grounded in a simple but powerful conviction: lasting development comes from empowering individuals to create and sustain their own livelihoods — not from handouts. Every module, every training session, and every mentorship interaction is designed to produce confident, capable, and commercially viable entrepreneurs. What We Do The AEP combines classroom instruction, hands-on business simulation, and post-training mentorship to guide participants from idea through to launch and scale. Modules cover business planning, market research, financial literacy, digital tools, access to finance, and regulatory compliance. Participants leave equipped not just with knowledge, but with a fully developed business plan and access to a network of mentors, fellow entrepreneurs, and financial institutions. The Virtual Incubator ICDA pioneered Nigeria's first self-sufficient virtual incubator for startups — a low-cost, high-impact platform that allows early-stage entrepreneurs to access coaching, peer networks, digital tools, and investment readiness training entirely online. This innovation broke down geographic barriers that had previously excluded rural and peri-urban entrepreneurs from quality support. Key Partnerships Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) — Implementing Agency, CBN-SEEDC South East African Entrepreneurship Empowerment Institute (AEEI), USA — Curriculum development and certification The Electronic Community, USA — Digital tools and global connectivity State Governments — Policy alignment and participant mobilisation Who Should Apply The AEP is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, NYSC members, recent graduates, and small business owners looking to formalise, scale, or pivot their enterprises. No prior business experience is required. ICDA meets participants where they are and builds up from there. Our Impact Since inception, the AEP has trained over 10,000 entrepreneurs across the South East and South South regions of Nigeria. More than 60% of graduates report starting or expanding a business within 12 months of completing the program. Several AEP alumni have gone on to employ dozens of workers each, creating a multiplier effect that extends ICDA's impact far beyond the training room. How to Enrol Enrolment is open year-round. Cohorts are formed quarterly. Interested candidates should complete the online enrolment form or visit any of our CBN-SEEDC offices in the South East. Subsidised and fully-funded places are available for qualifying participants through CBN and state government partnerships.
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