The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), says modalities are in place to train 40 prisoners, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and retirees on entrepreneurial skills.
According to a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by Mr Monday Ewans, the Director, Enterprises Development and Promotion, SMEDAN, the four-day training scheduled to begin on Monday would take place in six states.
They are Ondo, Niger, Katsina, Imo, Borno and Rivers.
According to Ewans, the beneficiaries will be provided with empowerment materials for start-up or scaling of their enterprises.
He emphasised that raising employment levels among youths required a skill-based training model essential in making a smooth and sustainable transition to employment.
“This alternative educational path fosters skills acquisition and development for a professional working life.
“It creates self-reliance, reduces the issues of social unrest, unemployment and dependency,’’ Ewans said.
He expressed concern that in spite the growing economic empowerment programmes, youths continue to experience unequal access to education and skills development.
Ewans said they also face barriers to securing employment and opportunities to thrive as entrepreneurs.
“More so, as insecurity affects the country, a lot of Nigerians are forced to vacate their ancestral homes into temporary abodes called Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
“In these camps, all the persons are not given the opportunity to be exposed to the acquisition of livelihood skills (entrepreneurship and vocational) to enable them to return to financially independent lives after the camp experience.
“It is imperative that a deliberate action is taken to empower these IDPs post the camp experience,’’ Ewans said.
He said that a lot of public servants spend their lives serving the nation without having the opportunity of acquiring livelihood skills that would support them after retirement.
“Most of them run into serious problems and even die from lack of financial resources, illness and the likes.
“It is important to provide an opportunity for these set of people to acquire skills that will make them relevant during their post retirement years,’’ Ewans said.
According to him, the programme aims at promoting skills development among IDPs, prison inmates and retirees.
“SMEDAN is committed to the conduct of a large number of vocational and entrepreneurship development programmes in specific skills relating to trades like electronics, electrical, and food processing among others
“This will enable the trainees to start or scale their own businesses.
“It will create jobs and alleviate poverty through empowering IDPs, inmates and retirees.
“Also, it will ensure that they become self-reliant and financially independent as well as reintegrate them, especially IDPs and inmates into the society and provide a sense of belonging to them.
“it is also to equip them, especially inmates with surviving skills that will make them become meaningfully engaged and not to go back to criminal activities,’’ Ewans said. (NAN)
