SMEDAN Trains 5, 365 Entrepreneurs

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has concluded its training of 5, 365 Nigerians on entrepreneurship with the empowerment of 145 trainees in Rivers State.

The beneficiaries who received their starter packs at the closing ceremony of the National Business Skills Development Initiative held in Port Harcourt yesterday, were trained in aluminium fabrication, fashion designs and catering.

In his keynote address at the ceremony, the Director General of SMEDAN, Dikko Radda, noted that the initiative was to train and impact in 5,365 entrepreneurs in all the 36 states of the federation including Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with enterpreneurship training and empowerment with equipment.

He stated the essence of the programme was to provide job opportunities for young Nigerians who want to start up their own business.

“We provided them with vocational and enterpreneurship training to boost their capacity and also provide them with equipment on various training they have received to enable them start their businesses.

“We need to mould the skills of our young men and women, and this is what is going to help our Nigeria economy.

“The target is on young men and women in the society to have more job opportunities instead of waiting for white collar job in the country, this will enable us to have a conducive atmosphere in the country in terms of security, peace and tranquility, this will also help our economy to grow,” he said.

Radda thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for providing budget to SMEDAN to impact on lives of young Nigerians, adding, “We did it last year, we will continue to do it in this country with the support we are receiving from Mr. President in the provision of budget in this programme and this will increase the livelihood of our citizens.”

He advised the beneficiaries not to sell their equipment for money, but to improve in their business management practices, train others to grow the economy of the country.

Some of the beneficiaries that spoke to THISDAY at the programme, applauded SMEDAN and the federal government for the gesture.

A 27 years old Joy Eze, who was trained on aluminium fabrication thanked federal government through SMEDAN for training and empowering her with cutting and drilling machine.

Miss Eze said, “I am so overwhelmed with joy. I want to say a very big thank you to SMEDAN, to the federal government for giving us this opportunity. We were well taken care of interms of transport, feeding, the hospitality, everything was great.

“I got my equipments after undergoing training on aluminum fabrication and I am very happy about this.

I love what the federal government is doing and want them to do more. I wish to be a beneficiary of whatever programme that comes up next.”

Another beneficiary who was trained on catering and empowered with oven and mixer, Mrs. Abaebite Adiege, thanked SMEDAN for its kind gesture to the beneficiaries in Rivers.