Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), says it created over 41 million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSEMEs), employing more than 59 million labour force in the country in the efforts to curb unemployment.
Dr Dikko Radda, Director-General of the Agency made the disclosure during the flagging-off ceremony of the 5-day programme on National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
Radda, represented by Mr Ewans Monday, Agency’s Director of Entrepreneurship, said the MSMEs could trigger an entrepreneural revolution in industry, agriculture and commerce in the country.
According to him, the most recent National MSMEs survey of 2017 revealed that there are 41, 543, 028 MSEMEs employing over 59, 647, 954 (76.5 per cent) labour force and contributing 49.78 per cent to norminal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and exports respectively.
On the NBSDI, the Director-General said the programme was designed to provide entrepreneurship, vocational skills and provision of empowerment materials to fill the capacity gap of the youths.
‘’The NBSDI enhances youth engagement in productive ventures, thereby ensuring they earn income through filling the artisanal gap in the country.
“The initiative is designed to ensure that more professional services will be provided by local and well-trained young artisans, leading to reduction in job loses to immigrants from neighbouring counties.
“It seems to pursue a drastic reduction in dependency poverty as most of the out-of-school youths, who still rely on stipends from parents are empowered to become self-reliant.
“The programme is being implemented in all the states of the federation and FCT where a total of 5, 365 entrepreneurs will be impacted with entrepreneurship, vocational skills and empowerment materials at the rate of 145 entrepreneurs per state and Abuja.
“We have visited other geopolitical zones in the country; today, the programme is commencing simultaneously in all the states of the South-East zone including Ebonyi, where a total of 725 entrepreneurs will be impacted.
“We appreciate the support of the Ebonyi state government to MSMEs and the Agency in the state,” the Director-General stated.
Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi commended the NBSDI programme in the state and said it was a welcome development.
Umahi, represented by Ebonyi Commissioner for Commence and Industry, Dr Stephen Odo, urged the participants to be focused and ensure that they made good use of the programme.
Mr Emmanuel Idam, a Participant said that he was happy to be part of the programme and pledged to established his own business after the training.
“Some of the skills in the programme are tiling, shoe making, hair dressing, fashion and designed among others. I am here to be trained on tiling,” Idam said.
