Politics
Lawmaker facilitates training for 500 Kwarans on SMEs
No fewer than 500 youths in Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency of Kwara, on Tuesday commenced a 3-day training on the benefit of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area.
The training was put together by the constituency office of Hon Raheem Olawuyi in conjunction with Oladodo Consulting, the constituency’s Lead Consultant on Training, Asset/Finance and Empowerment.
Other collaborators in the training are Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Bank of Industry (BOI), Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Others are Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as well as the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
The training programme is tagged: “SME Stakeholders Interractive Session”.
Olawuyi, in his remarks, at the opening of the session in Omu-Aran, said it was geared toward exposing the youths to the accrued benefits of SMEs through the relevant stakeholders, for them to be self reliance.
Olawuyi, represented by Dr Abiona Petu-Ibikunle, expressed the beleive that only the coming together of stakeholders could achieve the desired youth and socio-economic development in the constituency.
“Development is a significant catalyst in the attainment of a meaningful progress of a nation.
“No meaningful development can take place in an atmosphere devoid of opening up of informations on financial and technical opportunity, especially for the youths.
“Agriculture produce and manpower development is our strength and we must take advantage of it.
“Me and my team decided to organise an SME stakeholders session to create awareness about goverment low interest funding opportunities.
“This has encouraged us to the empowerment drive in providing training for 1,500 youths and women per quarter under the entrepreneural development and vocational areas,” he said.
Engr Mrs Zainab Abdulmalik, the State Cordinator of SMEDAN, said there was the urgent need to change the mindset of the youths away from high preference for white collar jobs.
According to her, there are many entrepreneural opportunities presently being promoted and facilitated by the Federal Government, through SMEDAN, especially for the youths.
Dr Olufemi Oladunni, Executive Director, ARMTI, in his remarks, described the Interractive Session as “an eye opener and beneficial.
He described the collaboration as the first of it’s kind by a Federal lawmaker since the establishment of the organisation.
Engr Abdulsalam Oladodo, the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency Lead Consultant, in his contribution, expressed optimism that the Interractive session would provide the enabling platform for the youths to be self productive.
“We realised that there is the need to attract more investors into the constituency and at the same build on the capacity of the youths.
“For the youths to benefit from the various opportunities of the SMEs the stakeholders need to come together and pass the necessary information in that regard,” he said.
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