Ondo State Government in conjunction with Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has
started training 360 youths on different business enterprise.
The three-day entrepreneurship programme organised by the Ministry of Youths
and Sports Development with SMEDAN started on Monday and would end on
Wednesday.
Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu identified unemployment as a major
factor besetting youths in the country, hence the need to impart youths with
entrepreneurial skills that would enable them become job creators.
The governor who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi, said one of
the core values of his government was human capital development, being the
foundation of socio-economic growth of the state.
According to Akeredolu, over four million youths enter the labour market as
against the available one million jobs.
“As our administration is committed to sustainable youth empowerment, this
three-day capacity building training is intended to unlock and re-invent your
creative potential and provide another opportunity for you to either start or
scale up your existing businesses.
“We cannot pretend to be unaware of the teething challenges confronting
entrepreneurs, notably the inability to access the initial capital outlay,’’ he
said.
Akeredolu said the agricultural value chain business was significant aspect of
his government’s plan to create jobs for unemployed youths and to grow the
state economy.
He revealed that the business had engaged over 18,000 youths, with social
protection and reinvestment programmes which had currently engaged about 50,000
youths through its various components.
Also, the commissioner for Youth and Sport Development, Mr Dotun Owanikin, said
the programme showed the commitment of the governor towards youth development
in the state.
He said the training would make the youths self-reliant and empower them to
ensure a sustainable employment opportunities in the state.
Owanikin said that a minimum of 20 youths were selected from each local
government adding, “what we are trying to do here is to start a chain of
employment for the youths in the state.’’
Mr Biodun Ayedun, SMEDAN Coordinator in the state, commended the state
government for giving the youths opportunity to be employers of labour.
Ayedun assured that after the training, the participants would be able to
access loans of between N1 million and N10 million, payable after 18 months of
collection with five per cent interest rate. (NAN)
