SMEDAN Provides Vocational Training, Business Startup Kits To 88 Youths In Osun

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) on Wednesday kicked off, a three day vocational training for 88 youths in Osun with the aim of reducing unemployment in the state and country.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the sideline of the training programme in Osogbo, Mr Oluwagbenga Ogundeji, the South-West Zonal Coordinator of SMEDAN, said the training is aimed at making participants their own boss and employers of labour.

Ogundeji said SMEDAN had adopted an holistic approach, and that entrepreneurship and vocational training would be given to participants at the programme and at the end of the training, participants would be given business startup kits.

He said the participants, in the next three days, would be given intensive training on fashion designing , leather works and hair dressing, which would be handled by professionals in these field of vocation.

“We have decided to combine both entrepreneurship and vocational skills and at the end of the training programme, we will be giving startup packs to our participants, meaning the participant will be empowered to run a successful and sustainable business.

“We are expecting the participant to be able to start their own business immediately after the program, even though we don’t expect them to be able to grasp all the concepts of the trade but at least we will be able to expose them to the basics and they can improve on it by learning more from the trainers.

“What the government is trying to do and achieve is to empower our youths so that they will become their own boss, they will become employers of labour, and they will be self reliant.

“We know that if we can empower these people, they will be able to assist the government to help in employing other youths that have nothing doing.” he said

Mrs Funto Babarinde, one of the Programme coordinate from SMEDAN, Abuja, explained that the training, tagged “National Business Skills Development Initiative” is to be carried out nationwide in batches.

Babarinde said the training was also holding in Akwa ibom, Benue, Born, Kano, Imo and Enugu states, and that the programme intends to provide skills and tools to selected number of youths , men and women, so that they become self sustainable with entrepreneur skills to fend for themselves amongst other opportunities.

“It is expected that participants who show seriousness commitment in starting this businesses would be assisted to start up their own business by SMEDAN.”

She said the programme also aims at generating 5million direct and indirect jobs in the long run, create wealth and alleviate poverty in rural areas

She said when the participants starts their own businesses, it would cushion the effect of COVID-19 on the economy,
curb social vices and youths restiveness (NAN)