Entrepreneurship: SMEDAN trains 155 Ekiti farmers on mordern techniques for development
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, (SMEDAN) has trained more than 155 Ekiti farmers in mordern techniques to make agriculture viable business for national development.
The Director General SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya, said the agency had trained 250 agriculture cooperative societies comprising 2,560 members in six states across the country.
Fasanya disclosed this on Monday at the opening ceremony of the agency’s 2022 Agribusiness Development and Empowerment Programme in Ado-Ekiti.
The SMEDAN DG said 155 registered participants were drawn from across Ekiti for the training under the agency’s National Agripreneurship Training Scheme, (NATS) as the training was expected to last for five days.
Fasanya listed some of the states that had benefitted from the training since its inception in 2020 to include, Kwara, Zamfara, Taraba, Cross River, Ebonyi, Osun and Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Enugu, Abia, Ondo, Ogun, Delta, Bauchi and Yobe.
He disclosed that the 2022 segment of the training being inaugurated in Ekiti would hold in other 14 states, including Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, Imo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Kaduna and Kano.
Other states are Sokoto State Niger, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Gombe.
The SMEDAN boss said the 2022 training programme was scheduled to attract 225 Agriculture Cooperative Societies and Agriculture Commodity Associations comprising of 2,250 members.
He said the participants would be empowered and supported with equipment, machinery and technical support through agripreneurship training under the scheme.
Fasanya said the objectives of the training was to encourage all active populace, especially women and youths, to embrace agribusiness development as a viable business option.
He said the training was also aimed at strengthening the knowledge and skill gap of participants of agribusiness development schemes as a platform to facilitate transition to management and best agriculture practices.
Fasanya said the agency was mandated to ensure a structural and efficient Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sector.
“We will continue to strive for excellence and strategic growth through forming strong partnerships with reputable public and private institutions.
“This is in order to build an all-inclusive and conducive business-to- business and access to local and international market,” the SMEDAN DG said.
Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, represented by Mr Kayode Fasae, Director-General, Ekiti State Micro-finance and Enterprises Development Agency, commended SMEDAN for the recognition it accorded the state through the training.
READ ALSO:https://brandeconomy.com.ng/bluechip-technologies-expands-operation-to-europe/
He said the state would continue to partner SMEDAN in promoting entrepreneurship development to an enviable heights and assured of the state’s readiness to provide financial support whenever such is required.
The State Manager of SMEDAN, Mr Tomi Ikuomola, reiterated the commitment of the agency at ensure that Nigeria’s economy was developed through other sectors than the oil sector.
Mrs Abe Iyabode, Trade Promotion Adviser, Nigeria Export Promotion Council, commended SMEDAN for its foresight, saying the training had the capacity to boost the participants’ knowledge and skills in developing their businesses.
She urged the participants to register their businesses with the council to benefit from the arrays of initiatives and incentives lined up by the Federal Government to improve and develop the nation’s business sector.
Mr Alagbada Adeniran, the Chairman of Ekiti State All Farmers Association, who spoke on behalf of the participants, described the training as timely and highly beneficial.
(NAN)
