The Niger State chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has advised the state government to engage its services in the fight against insecurity. It added that if the state government could engage the engineers, they would be able to help in curbing the insecurity threatening the stability of the state.
The NSE also called on the state government to pay more attention to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the state which would drive the reduction of unemployment and reduce the worrisome increase of youth restiveness.
The Chairman of the Minna branch of the NSE, Abdulkarim Nasir stated this during the 2022 Annual General Meeting and Induction of New members of the Minna branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
“Engineers create systems that allow people to earn money and if the Niger State Government can support this, we will be able to curb the insecurity in the state,” he said.
He said the state government is doing its best to engage Engineers in ministries, departments and agencies but it needs to go further in engaging the Engineers in the issues of insecurity and the need to seek their input in some of the solutions the government intends to bring about.
Delivering a lecture on “Entrepreneurship Development: A Panacea To Security Challenges In Nigeria,” the Director, Entrepreneurship Centre of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Dr Caroline Alenoghena described entrepreneurship as a workable solution to the unemployment in the country. She stated that the rate of unemployment across the state is alarming and has given rise to youth restiveness.
Alenoghena said: “We must understand that the root cause of insecurity is unemployment. If we address unemployment, we will address the challenge of insecurity.”
She stated that numerous opportunities are available to the country in the area of entrepreneurship if the government can give the right support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
“Statistics have shown that MSMEs make up 90 per cent of global economies of developed countries. We don’t need the biggest companies to set up locations in Niger State; MSMEs have proven to be a major driver of economic growth. We have unemployment which is waiting for us to do something about it.
“MSMEs drive economic growth, accelerate market competition and create employment. At the rate, we are moving, the government may not be able to pay salaries because of dwindling revenue sources, so the high time we improve the MSMEs, the better for the government in the future,” she said.
Alenoghena said the challenges affecting the growth of MSMEs include lack of skilled manpower, multiple taxations, and the absence of the entrepreneurship mindset, even as she called for deliberate efforts on the part of the government in addressing the poor growth of MSMEs in the state.
“The government should have legislations that boost the survival of MSMEs. Other countries give grants as low as 2.5 per cent. If the aim is the survival of these businesses, more needs to be done.