SMEDAN under the guidance of the federal government of Nigeria has dedicated itself to empower small and medium enterprises.
The move is to ensure that people with brilliant ideas and skills are identified and empowered in an equitable manner. The empowerment project will build beneficiaries’ skills and ideas into full blown businesses where people will be employed and income will be generated.
The Nation reports that, Small and medium Enterprise Development Agency, SMEDAN has moved to ensure equitable distribution round the 36 states including FCT by selecting 90 beneficiaries from all the local governments.
The Director General SMEDAN, Umaru Dikko Radar disclosed this during an interactive media session in Abuja, stating that this is to ensure that people with brilliant ideas, skills are identified and empowered.
The DG said is to build their skills and ideas into full blown businesses where people will be employed and income generated. Every year the agency selects three to four states where the intellectual capacities are tested.
He added that after the testing, the agency takes them through intensive training. The first 10 will be given a substantial amount of money to run their businesses while a token will be given to other participants.
“SMEDAN is working on shifting the mind of the people from white collar jobs into becoming entrepreneurs and employers of labour. This programme has been taken to primary and secondary schools, the teachers of these schools have undergone training so they can teach the pupils well.”
Dikko said this is to imbibe entrepreneurship in the life of these children. The idea of having a beautiful curriculum vitae and taking it round offices is over, he stressed, adding that the agency identifies youths that cannot rent a space and reach out to them by providing space for them so they can settle down to do business with ease.
Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/90-startups-to-benefit-from-smedans-empowerment-nationwide/amp/