A business school in Ajegunle, Lagos, says it has empowered more than 150 youth entrepreneurs and is targeting 5,000 youths in underserved communities in the state for skills acquisition and funding.
Mr Alfred Konaughe, founder of the school told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that there was the need to help local businesses to scale up.
He said there was also the need to empower more youths with skills acquisition and tools.
He added that some other stakeholders were partnering with the school and with a development centre in the area to train 5,000 aspiring entrepreneurs within the next few years.
According to Konaughe, there are people, especially youths, who need training, but lack the wherewithal.
He said it was, therefore, important to create job opportunities and empower large numbers of young entrepreneurs from low income communities.
“Youths and people from low income communities can hardly afford entrepreneurship training which they really need for self-reliance.
“This is why we place them on training scholarships.
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“Aspiring entrepreneurs from poor communities have difficulties raising start-up capitals, so we are making provision for grants to assist them.
“Stabilising new and young micro and small businesses is a big task. The school helps by providing them with soft loans through the Bank of Industry,’’ Konaughe said.
He added that the school’s graduates were usually attached to business mentors that attended to their enquiries during business clinics.
This, he explained, was to ensure that the graduates overcome business challenges.
Konaughe said that a Tech Hub was also created to fill the vacuum of ICT knowledge and skills that were lacking among local entrepreneurs.
(NAN)
