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By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has  commenced Post -training to 16 selected Cooperative Societies who benefited from the training and empowerment in form of cash grants of National Agric-Prenuership scheme.

Speaking during the exercise yesterday at Conference Hall, Federal Secretariat in Maiduguri, Deputy Director of SMEDAN, Fatima Shuaibu explained that the session was organized to meet with beneficiaries of the 2021 SMEDAN empowerment program to reassess and evaluate their businesses.

“Apart from the sensitization and capacity building conducted on the Agric-Prenuership trained through the various cooperatives societies, a total sum of N4,620,000,00 which translate to about N288,750,00 per cooperative was given as empowerment grants.” Shuaibu said. 

She explained that the aim of the exercise among others was to do a pre-and post training comparism in order to establish impact made and to also ascertain training outcomes as regards effective utilization of lesson learnt in terms of ability to keep proper books and business records, improved sales and marketing techniques, ascertaining progress, turn over level, value addition, general utilization of available opportunities as well as ability to manage business operation effectively.

She noted that  the 16 cooperatives that have turn up came with positives results and have also enumerated their challenges which they need guidance on how to improve their businesses, most of them have succeeded but needs capital expansion while others needs a market to sale their products like those in cattle rearing business. 

She added that, in 2021 160 trainees were given three hundred thousand cash grant as start up capital after acquiring the basic training on agri -business and empowerment program which borders on how to start up business, maintain their customers.

They were also educated on how to source funds from various federal government iniatives, they were also encouraged to formalize their chosen businesses by registering with corporate affairs commission, state board of internal revenue and related bodies.

SMEDAN Branch Manager  in Borno state, Glavda Solomon David said that, the session was organised to meet with beneficiaries of SMEDAN training and empowerments to reassess and evaluate their businesses in accordance with  what they have received after the training and the cash grants.

“Most of the beneficiaris have succeeded, but needs capital expansion while others needs a market to sale their products like those in cattle rearing business”. He said.