The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has commenced training of 90 youths in four artisanal businesses in Jigawa.
The Deputy Director, Enterprise Development in the agency, Mr Ado Adamu, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Wednesday.
Adamu said the beneficiaries were selected from different parts of the state for the five-day training, which commenced on Monday.
He said the beneficiaries would be impacted with entrepreneurship and vocational skills, as well as given materials.
The deputy director added that the youths were being trained on laundry, tailoring, mobile phone repair and welding.
According to him, each of the trainees will be given a starter pack and transport allowance to begin his/her own business.
In his remarks, the agency’s Manager in the state, Mr Aminu Sale, expressed hope that the gesture would motivate and encourage the beneficiaries to become self-reliant and not wait for white-collar jobs.
“We advise the beneficiaries to take the training very seriously and grasp all aspects of its packages.
“This will enable them to optimise the opportunity made available to them, as well as justify the investment being made on each of them by the Federal Government,” Sale said.
He said the training hinged on improved business management practice/service provision by trained artisans, increased access to finance, equipment and other business resources and formalised artisanal businesses.
Others are improved market support services by ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders as well as satisfaction level of customers through improved service delivery.
NAN recalls that the Director-General of the agency, Mr Olawale Fasanya, had flagged off the National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) on Tuesday in Katsina State.
Under the programme implemented in 36 states of the federation and the FCT, a total of 3,330 entrepreneurs, 90 from each state, are expected to be trained and supported with empowerment materials.
(NAN)
