Group Empowers 1,600 SMEs in the Niger Delta Region

Okon Bassey in Uyo

More than 1,600 Small and Medium Scale Businesses (SMSB) in the Niger Delta region have been empowered with grant to support and increase their capacities by the Niger Delta Youth Professionals (NDYP).

The NDYP said that the empowerment of the SMSB has created over 4,922 direct and indirect jobs with more than 2,304 business owners trained on various entrepreneurship skills.

This was disclosed at the Niger Delta Micro Small and Entreprises Summit that was held during the weekend in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. 

The Convener of the 3rd edition of the summit, Mr. Moses Siasia, said that the gesture was with the support from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

He said that the NYPF ìs a larger body incorporating the NDYP and through its advocacy membership has been increased to over two million and spread around 15 countries of the world and the summit held to communicate the International Youth Day.

With focus on “Building the Culture of Entrepreneurship Compositeness Beyond,” Siasia, who doubles as the Chairman of the NYPF and the Niger Delta Young Professionals (NDYP), said that the initiative was meant to change the narrative by helping and empowering young people in the region to achieve their dreams by engaging in productive activities.

“We want our young people who are entrepreneurs to understand that the future is theirs, and that the future is entrepreneurship.

“The world today is diverting from hydrocarbon. We are talking about energy transition and climate change. These are where the world interests are driving to, so we must conform to modern realities. This is why we are doing this to reshape the entrepreneurial culture in the region.”

He regretted that youths in the region have been marginalized over the decades with deprivation while the region has nothing to show after decades of contributing marginally to the growth of the economy.

He cautioned young people to consider exploring the social media to promote their brands and businesses, rather than jumping on it as a tool to abuse political office holders.

Siasia said that his quest to develop and expand his business has taken to over 60 countries while his staff strength has risen to over 480 staff.

He tasked youths in the region with business dreams not to be deterred by initial challenges associated with new and growing enterprises.

While calling for a change of business mindset for the youths of the region, he tasked governments in the region to develop a framework that would guide and support aspiring and intelligent business minds in the area.

In a lecture by the Guest Speaker, Mr. Ebimoboere Enyiekpemi, on “Entrepreneur Beyond Oil,” he restated the need for a return to agriculture due to increasing problems and change in climatic conditions.

Enyiekpemi, who is also the CEO of Afritropic Farming and Agro Services Limited, urged youths in the region to consider venturing into agriculture and tap from the benefits.

She maintained that agro business would require passion, self-investment, consistency, resilience, focus and intellectual knowledge to thrive.

In a goodwill message, the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Brigadier General Barry Ndiomu, charged youths to “rise above the entitlement mentality,” to set the stage for success.

“If you rise above entitlement mentality, the sky will be too small to be your starting point. Everybody stands a chance,” he said, adding that the youths must begin to think out of the box and come up with innovative ideas.

The interim administrator, who was represented by PAP’s Head of Reintegration, Mr. Musa Wilfred, advised the youths to heighten awareness and take advantage of the current situation.

Also in their separate goodwill messages, the Chief Executives of the NDDC, NCDMB and Providus Bank harped on the need for increased engagement and redirection of focus from government handouts to entrepreneurship development among the youths of the region.

Technical sessions at the summit were focused on SMEs and entrepreneurship while special recognition and grants were given to young entrepreneurs who have brazed the trail in business development in the region.