Employment: German Agency Launches Platform for Project’s Graduates

James Sowole in Abeokuta

Determined to ensure continuity and sustainability of its employment creation programme, Students Entrepreneurship Activities (SEA-Hubs), the German International Development Corporation, has launched an Alumni Network Platform for graduates of the project.

The platform known as SEA-Hub Alumni Network (SHAN) was launched in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at an event that attracted various stakeholders in education, youth and related sectors of the state.

Performing the inauguration, the Head, Economic, Education and Entrepreneur Components of GIZ, Oladoyin Olawaye, said the network is exclusively made up of SEA-Hub graduates, and it is expected to serve as a channel embedded within the SEA-Hub framework to further engage students of the programme after graduation.

She said: “In furtherance of the long-term objective of SEA-Hub to create better employment outcomes, the Alumni platform is designed to achieve this through linking the Alumni groups to capacity building, mentoring, coaching, appropriate linkages, and other related activities in line with SEDIN objectives.

“The SEA-Hub Alumni Engagement and Inauguration Workshop activity is the official kickoff of SEA-Hub Alumni Network (SHAN) activities in Niger, Ogun and Plateau States.”

To achieve the mandate of the SHAN group, a state-based SEA-Hub stakeholder’s Technical Advisory Group (SEA-Hub TAG) was equally launched.

The Technical Advisory Group made up of relevant organisations from the public and private sectors will serve as mentors, business development support, training and coaching advisors to the group.

Olawaye noted that “the overall goal of the SHAN was to consolidate on the entrepreneurial capacity developed in the SEA-Hub Alumni through the enactment of a structured network of young innovative entrepreneurs linked to local business support communities (NGOs, private business development stakeholders, entrepreneurship units of tertiary institutions and opportunities provided by relevant public youth parastatals and SME development agencies (Ministry of Youth and Sport) in their states.

Speaking at the inauguration programme also, the President, Ogun State Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines

and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA),  Mike Akingbade, pledged the readiness of the council to partner SEA-HUB in mentoring the young entrepreneurs.