Abuja—Peers Mentoring Programme, PMP, Nigeria, and Peers Mentoring Programme International, in collaboration with NEPAD Business Group, have inaugurated a development fund to help informal sector businesses in Nigeria.

Dr. Robert Aniebo, Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Business Group Nigeria, said in Abuja yesterday that the collaboration  would help to improve the economy.

He said: “This fund will help to employ and coach at least one million mentors to sensitise, mobilise and formalise at least 1,000,000 informal sector businesses in Nigeria.”

He said Nigerians should take full advantage of the initiative and create awareness among peers and peer groups, particularly at the grassroots.

According to him, PMP in Nigeria is a pilot programme to be replicated in other member countries of ECOWAS and other regional economic communities in Africa.
He noted that this would serve as a partnership initiative under the aegis of the Coordinator and Project Team Leader, Global Partnerships Development Initiative for Africa and NEPAD.

He stated that issues on PMP would be captured in the upcoming AU/NEPAD global partnership seminar series to be held in the first quarter of 2011.

“NEPAD Business Group Nigeria has institutionalised the AU/NEPAD_Global Partnerships Seminar Series on the theme: ‘Revealing Opportunities Available to Africa in the International System,” he said.

According to him, it will provide channels and opportunities for the international community in Africa to showcase opportunities in their international interventions in Africa in the nine NEPAD clusters under the International Capacity Building and Mentoring Programme Framework.

He explained that it would promote knowledge_sharing and networking, bridge the huge knowledge gaps, fast-track partnerships, optimise resource mobilisation, create wealth and reduce poverty.

NAN reports that the PMP is an International Empowerment Programme promoted in Africa to create wealth and reduce poverty induced by high unemployment levels and a lack of access to capital by the informal economy.

PMP is a capacity-building programme, a coaching facility, a mass employer of labour, interest-free business capital provider and exclusive international business club for global network of members.

It accepts no deposits but provides huge financial support under the framework of the PMP Awareness Promotion and Membership Mobilisation Campaigns, toward a rapid attainment of the Minimum Membership Subscription.