By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

No fewer than 30,000 students from four states in Nigeria have benefited from entrepreneurship skills sponsored by the German International Development Agency (GIZ), while over 5,000 new jobs have been created to support value chains under its Pro-Poor Growth and Promotion of Employment in Nigeria Programme, known as (SEDIN).

The Head of Programme, GIZ SEDIN, Mr. Markus Wauschkuhn, disclosed this at a media parley with selected journalists on the second edition of the Students’ Entrepreneurship Activities (SEA-Hub) national competition among secondary schools in Nigeria, scheduled to take place in Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja next week.

Wauschkuhn said SEA-Hub activities involved students from both private and public secondary schools in the. participating states.

Wauschkuhn noted that the SEA-Hub national competition, was a follow-up to the state competitions, that were concluded in five states and from which 15 schools were chosen to represent their states at the second competition holding on October 24, 2022.

While pointing out that SEA-Hub state competitions, were held in Plateau, Lagos, Edo, Ogun and Niger States in June 2022, he added that students during the state competitions, showcased various innovative products and services that they started with little or no capital, which is one of the key mandates of SEA-Hub.

The head of programme, said the 15 participating schools were chosen after they had exhibited and presented their business ideas at their respective state levels.

He added that about 140,000 Nigerians, have benefitted from the agency’s financial literacy programme.

He said, “since the inception of the programme, over 30,000 school students have been reached in 342 schools across the participating states”.

“Also, more than 300 secondary school leavers trained under the programme have set up personal businesses, while also implementing community projects as part of social responsibility”.

While stating that the SEA-Hub was already having positive impact on the communities where schools were located, Wauschkuhn said the project was to be the only existing co-curricular activity in majority of the participating schools in most cases.

Wauschkuhn said: “SEA-Hub activities has led to the revival of co-curricular slots within the schools. Aside running mini businesses, SEA-Hub students now implement community projects from their business proceeds as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects while about 700 teachers have been impacted directly and indirectly with a number of them running their own businesses as a result.”

He noted that the main objective of the SEA-Hub programme was aimed at reducing unemployment in the country by equipping secondary school students with the right skills which will prepare them for a secured future.

“For young people, it is difficult to find full and productive employment and decent work. To harness and turn the growing youth unemployed population in the country into an asset, we need an urgent focus on economic activities that can thrive and yield demographic dividends for the nation”, he said.

“SEA-Hub was therefore borne out of the need to improve skills and prepare young people for a secure future. By catching them young, the SEA-Hub project is equipping secondary school students with entrepreneurship training in a way that develops their skills to be agile, sustainable and transferable in ever-changing environments and situations.”

Piloted in Niger State in 2016, it is currently being implemented in Niger, Ogun, Plateau, Edo, Lagos, Yobe, Kaduna, Delta, Imo, Osun and Oyo states.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Adetola Salau, Senior Special Assistant to Lagos State Government on Education said SEA-Hub has empowered many indigent students in the state.

“In the three local government areas where SEA-HUB is being implemented – Alimosho, Agege and Ifako Ijaye – we have a high population of young people with very few opportunities.

“But this programme has practically succeeded in teaching our students how to fish and we have no doubt that it can be scaled up to benefit more students,” she said.

Olawaiye Oladoyin, Component Lead of GIZ Nigeria’s Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (EEE), said at the media tour that the SEA-Hub initiative has revived co-curricular activities in participating schools.

“We decided to catch the student entrepreneurs young. We identify and train students and teachers who then sensitise their school management.

“They also set up entrepreneurship clubs; where they meet regularly to solve problems, open their minds to opportunities and think of specific solutions.

“SEA-Hub has not only revived co-curricular activities among students; it has also impacted supervising teachers directly or indirectly,” she said.

“We are focusing on secondary school students because, although they will form the majority of the future workforce, they remain inadequately exposed to the business skills required to forge ahead,” he said.

The media tour took journalists to Alimoso Senior Grammar School and Abesan Senior High School, in Lagos, where students’ SEA-Hub activities were inspected.