By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA-The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, with the Sokoto State Government have commenced training of 100 youth on entrepreneurship skills.

This was flagged off by the Director-General, SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, in Sokoto.

Radda, who was represented by Director, Engineering Technology and Infrastructure, SMEDAN, Mr Abu Ozigi, at opening of the training said the agency has been repositioned to ensure young people were adequately trained on entrepreneurial skills to be self-reliant and positively contribute to the development and growth of the economy.

Nigerian youths

Radda also expressed optimism that with the collaboration between the agency and the Sokoto State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SOSMEDA, the training will go a long way to solve unemployment in the state as those to be trained will also become employers of labour and pay tax to the state government.

He said: “The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, is now set to reposition itself for a focused delivery of business development services to micro, small and medium enterprises in the country, with particular emphasis on micro enterprises.

“Training of 100 youth on various entrepreneurial skills and productivity, the youth under the programme will be self-employed and also empowered to start their business, and other youth will be employed by them.

“That is why we are collaborating with the Sokoto State government through Sokoto State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SOSMEDA, to achieve success and also continue the programme.

“SMEDAN is desirous that most of the enterprises in the micro category, which currently constitutes 99.8 per cent of MSMEs, grow to small and subsequently, medium enterprises.

“In this way, more jobs would be created and contribution to the Growth Domestic Product (GDP) would be enhanced.”

The SMEDAN boss also urged young people to be industrious and hard working, and for them to take advantage of such training opportunities as it will add value to their life and make them successful and useful to the society instead to engage themselves in criminal activities and destroy their future.

He also promised and assured that the two agencies were working out a sustainable funding mechanism for the beneficiaries of the training programme and also to upscale the gesture as access to information on investments would be boosted and granted.

However, he said, “SMEDAN and Sokoto State government have commenced discussions on the re-development of the Sokoto Industrial Development Centre, IDC.

In her remarks, the Director-General, SOSMEDA, Hajiya Aishatu Hassan, commended the governor of the state, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, for devoting his time and resources by making for according special priority and recognition to micro, small and medium enterprises his priority on development agenda of the state and giving youth a sense of belonging.

“Such commendable efforts by the state government culminated in the recent establishment of the agency, while it provides sustainable moral and financial support to it. The training is aimed at further reducing poverty and unemployment in the state, while boosting the economy of the state”, she said.