Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA) and Bureau of Employment, Labour and Productivity (BELP), under the platform of the Agricultural and Small/Medium Enterprise Intervention Scheme (AGSMEIS), are set to embark on a training of Four Thousand Five Hundred Entrepreneurs in the state.
The training, designed to equip entrepreneurs in the state for viable, collective economic growth, will hold in a five-day period in September 2019.
The objective of the meeting is to; facilitate the planning and implementation of the scheme in Ekiti, bring the stakeholders together: MEDA, BELP, Ekiti State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (EKICCIMA), Wema Bank, Africa Leadership Forum (ALF) and Enterprise Grooming Institute (EGI). Other issues discussed include; harmonizing training modules, setting timeline for implementation and ensures maximum success rate in all available funding intervention schemes and other State Government enterprise funding schemes.
According to the Director General of MEDA, while speaking on the forth-coming training, said that the scheme is a driving force to change the narratives of entrepreneurship in the state.
“We have embarked on strategic sensitization to ensure we recruit qualified persons for the training. We want to create a system whereby our youths are gainfully involved in productive business activities that will yield viable growth for the economy of the state.
“The training is in three phases namely; Pre-Training, Training and Post Training phases. This is to ensure adequate sensitization, equipping and funding of selected business owners. Each of the phases has a peculiar system to monitor and evaluate the performance of the trainees.
“This training equally equip entrepreneurs to access the MSME, Youth Enterprise Development, and Anchor Borrower Loans,” he said.
Director General, Bureau of Employment, Labour and Productivity, Mr. Lanre Ogunjobi in his contributions, said that his agency is set to address the technical areas of the scheme, adding that all areas of the sector covered by the agency will be duly explored for active participation.
Training Manager, African Leadership Forum Mr. Funsho Popoola said that the current statistics of unemployment in Nigeria birthed the need for training and financial empowerment of entrepreneurs.
“We will be giving detailed training to participants of this scheme to instill financial and ethical discipline, build their capacity for vocational and entrepreneurial skills development. This will add to the collective effort of the state government on stability and development of the economy,” he said.
Zonal Manager, Wema Bank Plc., Ekiti State, Mr. Damilola Edewusi said that affirmed that the bank’s relationship with the State government is cordial.
“We are glad to be a part of the developmental process of our youths in Ekiti and this programme is one of the numerous working relationships Wema Bank have with the government. We have analyzed the viability of this scheme and we are sure it will elevate the entrepreneurial scope of the state.
As stakeholder, the role of the bank in this scheme is not limited to financing alone, we will be actively involved in the training in other capacity relevant to our institution,” he said.
