The Nation Newspaper

Tag: entrepreneurship

  • Over 1,000 students embrace entrepreneurship in Anambra

    The Commissioner for Education in Anambra State Prof Kate Omenugha, has expressed joy over the increasing interest of both indigenes and non-indigenes in vocational and technical schools in the state.

    Omenugha said no fewer than 1,000 students engaged in the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), have become entrepreneurs across various fields.

    In an interview in Awka, Omenugha said: “The students were not only being transformed into qualified entrepreneurs, but competing favourably with their contemporaries in the global market.’’

    She said prior to the emergence of the administration, none of the vocational and technical schools in the state was accredited.

    “The vision of Anambra State government is to inject into the students lifelong skills to empower them with education that is globally competitive.

    “He changed the psyche of the students from their penchant for white collar jobs to using their hands to earn a living. He abolished tuition fees in all vocational schools in the state,” she added.

    According to the commissioner, the teachers and other education officers had undergone various training both locally and internationally through the support of Kiara College (a technical institute established in Africa to meet the need for Technical and Vocational Education Training).

    “The major turning point was our trip to Singapore, a city with zero tolerance to unemployment where our students were exposed to various kinds of skills.

    “The technical colleges also received a boost following their equipment with the state of the art facilities, including a memorandum of understanding the state entered into with different companies, including INNOSON Motors.’’

    Omenugha enumerated the benefits  of the measures taken by government, among which include increased enrolment in vocational schools.

    “The first time we organised an entrepreneurial fare, it was amazing the products the children were able to carry out with their hands, including rocket, solar panels, brick laying and plumbing.

    “The state is working on strengthening its production unit in partnership with artisans to ensure sustainability,” she added.

    The Chief Executive Officer, Kiara College, Mr. Endi Ezengwa, praised the government for investing in the technical and vocational education and training which, according to him, many other states have abandoned for lack of funds.

    Ezengwa, however, underscored the need to extend the programme to the various communities to manage youth unemployment through the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

     

  • Lagos committed to entrepreneurship development

    The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to entrepreneurship development among youths through their participation in Small and Medium Scale Entreprises (SMSEs).

    Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuff made this known at the opening session of a two-day workshop themed: “Enterprise Development Soulutions; let’s dream big,” held at Raddison Hotel, Ikeja.

    The workshop was organised by her ministry in conjunction with a firm, Hudson Group.

    She said: “Be assured that the present administration will not halt until citizens must have been fully impacted from the different government policies through laudable initiative such as this.

    ”The eventual dividend of this initiative would have helped to unleash and imbibe a positive mind-set with a view to repositioning the state’s economy by implementing  a well-defined strategic plan and operational guidelines that will further promote traditional and social entrepreneurship, and help facilitate business and management extension services to Small and Medium Enterprise for Unemployed Youths and Artisans.”

  • Expand entrepreneurship curriculum, says expert

    Mrs Dayo Ilori, one of the speakers at this year Vision 2020 Career Awareness seminar organised by Lonadek Oil and Gas, has said entrepreneurship training in schools should be beyond acquisition of skills for small business.

    Speaking on the theme: “Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship in STEM” at the event held at the Yaba College of Technology, Ilori said with much emphasis placed on entrepreneurship education by schools, there are still loopholes which have limited pupils mindset from the core relevance of entrepreneurship.

    “A lot of schools have introduced entrepreneurship education but what exactly is being taught in the curriculum of entrepreneurship? What I see a lot of schools teach in that area is more like skills acquisition.

    “Entrepreneurship is beyond having a small business. This is what schools do, preparing students to own small business which eventually are not sustainable. Real entrepreneurship should be start-ups which can be scalable.

    “For instance, if you have desire to own a fruit Juice company and you start producing a little quantity of it. You must be ready to expand; you must be ready to scale that business.  You must know how to expand the scope of your business, what you need to put in place to enable such expansion. So entrepreneurship is not being taught at that level of owning big business like Dangote, Guinness, Unilever. It should be taught like large conglomerate, investment beyond the sphere of just having a small business,” she said.

    The seminar hosted particularly SSS 1 – 3 students, university and polytechnic undergraduates as well as NYSC corps members.   The students also learnt about scholarship opportunities available in the U.S. to deserving students by Education USA, US Consulate.

    There was also a science project competition which had a public school winning the top slot among 11 school participants.

    Lagos Model Senior College, Ikosi won the first place with its project on water level alarm indicator, Apostolic Faith Secondary School which exhibited a Low Cost High Efficiency Inverter using an old UPS and automobile battery, won the second position, while Shesfun Comprehensive College which displayed  a Simple Vacuum Cleaner came third.

    Convener, Vision 2020 Dr Ibilola Amao, said the programme had empowered 80,000 youths since its inception in 2006. She called on the Federal Government to encourage the promotion of STEM role models, mentors and coaches, empower STEM teachers and lecturers, promote science projects, community development initiatives, as well as research and development.

  • Boosting employment, entrepreneurship

    Through a two-day career workshop in Lagos, Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC) has changed the game for jobless youths, honing their skills for the market and enhancing their employability. DANIEL ESSIET reports

    Youth unemployment is one of the most pressing challenges facing Nigeria. Over the last decade, the rate of youths between the ages of 15 and 24 in the labour market has been hovering around 30 percent – making it one of the highest in the world.

    Although a young labour force represents a source of great potential, governments at all levels are struggling to create opportunities for them.

    To solve the problem, Knowledge Exchange Centre (KEC) last week held its Career workshop in Lagos.

    The event featured experts who looked at the problem and proffered solutions.

    Ahead of that, the Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, said a skilled workforce was central to  economic revival.

    Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf, represented by the Head of Department of Employment of the ministry, Mrs Iyabo Seriki-Bello, reiterated  thegovernment‘s determination to ensure that education and training systems promote the employability skills that young people need.

    She said the ministry was organising a reorientation and employability skills training soon, adding that attendance was a requirement for the Graduate Internship Placement (GIP).

    She explained that GIP was a six-month programme that covers online application, selection and screenings as well as placement into various organisations in the state where interns were expected to translate their knowledge into practice.

    She praised KEC for planning the programme, adding that it was in line with the mandate of the ministry.

    According to her, the programme themed, Winning in the 21st century job market, was critical as youths need knowledge on how to search and secure lasting jobs and relevant skills for future work.

    Such skills, she said include critical thinking, reasoning and creative skills, passion for achievement and success, value, problem-solving and resourcefulness, team spirit, time management and curiosity.

    Centre for Entrepreneurship Knowledge Exchange founder and XL Africa Group Executive Chairman Charles Nwodo Jnr said the vision was to equip young people with entrepreneurial and employability skills.

    Nwodo, represented by Head, Group Business & Marketing Support, and Chizoba Onwuzolum said the KEC was established to fill the knowledge gap in development policy and social studies.

    He said its GIP is an intensive programme designed to equip fresh graduates with relevant workplace skills. The training involves both classroom and experiential learning methods to provide them with theoretical and practical knowledge which is missing in the university curriculum. The aim of the GIP is not only to enable the participants be employed but to acquire the necessary skills in their chosen career fields.

    According to him, KEC programme is supported by a broader strategy to develop career-ready graduates who are marketable in an increasingly competitive employment market.

    KEC Executive Secretary, Maria Glover said Nigeria is faced with growing employment crisis.

    She said: “There are 10 to 12 million youth entrants into the African labour market annually. By 2020,only one in four youths in Africa would find a wage paying job and by which time the population of unemployed youths is expected to rise to 200 million. This population of youth represent a group of extremely brilliant people capable of contributing to the development of the continent.”

    She added: “In Nigeria, the case is not better as 1.9 million graduates enter the already saturated labour market. As at the third quarter of 2017, the labour force population increased to 85.1 million from 83.9 million in the second quarter of the year. The number of unemployed/underemployed people stands at 18 million and 31.8 per cent of this figure constitute unemployed graduates.”

    To ensure that Nigeria has the graduates and skills needed to meet its goal of becoming a high-income, knowledge-based economy, the executive secretary said the organisation was taking significant steps to produce “industry ready” graduates through an approach involving greater career awareness, industry exposure, and enhancing skills for employability.

    She expressed concern that graduates are ill-prepared, urging them to use the forum to gain new knowledge and skills.

    According to her, the organisation’s Graduate Advancement Programme (GAP) is aimed at helping youths gain employment.

    She said 400 people have either acquired job skills or built a business after graduating from KEC.

    She explained that KEC works with partners on employment and entrepreneurs.

    Having etched their names as successful business people and entrepreneurs in their industries, the panelists shared their journey to pursuing their passions and how they overcame the challenges head on to achieve their goals.

    Aside from hearing the remarkable stories of the panelists, participants in attendance had the opportunity to engage with the panelists during the question and answer session which proved to be both inspiring and insightful.

    Participants of the programme are guided on how to write resumes, send job applications, and how to conduct themselves during interviews. There was a motivational talk for the participants.

    One of the beneficiaries is Adeyemi Seun, a graduate of Quantity Surveying of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.

    He praised KEC for helping to alleviate poverty and create jobs for youths.

    Since graduation, Seun had challenges on getting a job. He felt hopeless. But after attending the workshop, he told The Nation that programme helped him assess his weaknesses and why he had been successful in his job hunts.

    He said such programmes have a key role in helping graduates find jobs.

    He told The Nation he was encouraged to take advantage of job opportunities.

    Another beneficiary and Caleb University’s Microbiology graduate, Miss Fiyin Olaniyan, said she was prepared to embrace and embark on entrepreneurship once she get a job and work for some years.

    She said the training came at the right time to enable her to be self-employed.

    For watchers, Lagos is experiencing a staggering youth boom, with more than half of the 20million people in the state who are under 20. This is a huge proportion of young people who have the potential to significantly boost the prosperity, stability, and well-being and create a future in which they will thrive.

  • Bagudu promises commitment to online entrepreneurship

    Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi has reiterated the commitment of his administration to encourage online entrepreneurship among youth in the state.

    Bagudu made this known at a workshop on five business opportunities organised by a Kaduna based online organisation in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

    He acknowledged that online business had not only enhanced the economic prosperity of entrepreneurs but also boost wealth creation.

    The governor said the state government would encourage such entrepreneurship in line with modernity.

    Earlier, Mohammed Jega, the Managing Director of Start-up Arewa, an online company, explained that the workshop was aimed at opening the business opportunities for youths.

    Read Also: Elumelu: Entrepreneurs need govt to grow

    Jega said the programme targets at encouraging youths to be self-employed by engaging in online businesses.

    He commended the state government for its pragmatic approach to exploit all areas of economic empowerment for its people.

    The Nation reports that professionals at the event highlighted ways in which online users would grow businesses in agriculture, fashion design, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, commerce and educational matters.

    NAN

  • Proprietress stresses need for entrepreneurship in schools

    A school proprietor, Chief  Mobolaji Onitiri, has stressed the need for secondary schools to introduce business entrepreneurship in their  curriculum.

    Speaking in Lagos during a meeting with reporters, Onitiri said her school, the Gloryland International College, Surulere, Lagos, has introduced  entrepreneurship into its new school curriculum beginning from September.

    “The entrepreneurship course is to deepen, stimulate and fascinate the students’ academic knowledge and make them self-employed or employers of labour at the completion of their secondary education.

    “Along with their academic pursuit, the students will be compelled to learn courses in catering, hairdressing, make-ups, tie and die, fashion design, bead making, computer IT among others,” Onitiri said.

    Onitiri said the entrepreneurship scheme was being introduced to equip the students towards future challenges so that they won’t join army of unemployed youths, now roaming the streets to look for white collar jobs, after attaining excellence in their academics.

    According to her, the college was fully designed to address the needs of parents who want their children to have a taste of 21 century education anchored on research, technology, and innovation in accordance with international practices.

    She said the academic programme of the college was to focus specially on sports development by hunting for talents and groom them up to become the likes of Christian Ronaldo, JJ Okocha Kanu Nwakwo, Falilat Ogunkoya, Chioma  Ajunwa. Chief Mrs. Onitiri said It is the policy of the college management to ensure that students achieve the best in their chozen career.

  • Moghalu seeks policies that promote entrepreneurship

    Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Deputy Governor Kingsley Moghalu has said government policies should promote entrepreneurship and innovation and help small businesses to thrive.

    Emphasising the need to drastically reduce poverty and create employment for  youths in the country to avert dissatisfaction and conflict in Nigeria, Moghalu, a presidential aspirant, called for effective policies that will help small businesses. He promised to address unemployment prevalent among youths if he becomes president.

    The founder, Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation, spoke during a town hall meeting with residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. Themed: ‘The role of women and youth in governance’, the event was held at the NUJ Hall, Iwe Iroyin House and attended by traditional rulers, women leaders, student activists, among others.

    “Our population stands at about 200 million with unemployment rising from 8.2 per cent in 2015 to 18.8 per cent. Nigeria stands as the poverty capital of the world, with 152 million Nigerians – about 80 per cent of our citizens – meet the criteria of absolute poverty. When you think about the statistics and apply this to the economy, we cannot continue this way,” he said.

    He said zoning of political posts among leaders has not led to national development. He later explained that 2019 elections have been zoned to competence as it provides an opportunity for citizens to elect technocrats with experience in solving practical economic problems and actively unite the nation.

    The aspirant also shared his mission to revamp the power sector by investing in renewable energy for individual use while focusing the large hydro-power and gas plants on providing consistent power for industries and businesses. According to him, this would drastically cut the costs of operating businesses in Nigeria thereby reducing the price of goods and massively boost the economy.

    During the tour, Moghalu also paid a courtesy visit to the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III at his palace in Abeokuta, where he promised to embrace words of wisdom from the traditional ruler for a new and bold various approach to Nigeria.

     

  • Kwara indigenes undergo training in solar light, entrepreneurship

    Twenty-five indigenes of Kwara State are undergoing  training in solar light installation and entrepreneurship at the International Vocational Technical and Entrepreneurship College (IVTEC) in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara State.

    The Acting Rector of the college, Dr Ade Somide, who disclosed this while declaring the training open in Ajase-Ipo in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state, said the training was in partnership with  Riccortezza-Asteven Energy Ltd.

    The energy company is handling the “Light-up Kwara” project in collaboration with the state government.

    He commended the company for being socially and environmentally responsible. “The company has put in place start-up business package for the participants worth one million naira each at the end of the exercise.

    “All necessary apparatus have been provided by the IVTEC and the energy company for the students.

    “The selected participants will be trained for two weeks in Kwara, before moving them to Ogun State for one week training by the energy company,” Somide said.

    He expressed gratitude to the state government for partnering the energy company, describing the gestures as a way forward to minimising youth restiveness in the state.

    Riccortezza-Asteven Energy Limited Managing Director, Dr Dickson Aleroh,  described the training as a way of giving back to the society.

    He urged the participants to take full advantage of the training, adding that the programme was part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

    The registrar of the college, Mr Sunday Ade-Bello, revealed that the training would be on solar photovoltaic, installation, troubleshooting, maintenance and other entrepreneurship courses.

    One of the trainees, Rachael Atolagbe, commended the sponsors  for remembering the indigenes of the state to help to alleviate poverty and create jobs for the youths.

    Another beneficiary, Ajibola Oluwaseun, said the training came at the right time to enable them be self employed in view of the high rate of unemployment and the economic situation in the country.

  • UNDP trains IDPs on entrepreneurship in Adamawa

    UNDP trains IDPs on entrepreneurship in Adamawa

    A total of 50 youths, mostly Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa, have completed entrepreneurship training organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

    Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Yola, the Country Director of UNDP, Dr Samuel Bwalya, represented by Dr Robert Asugwa, the Team Leader, said the training was part of UNDP’s intervention in promoting development.

    Bwalya said such programme of training people to be employable handled by UNDP had been successful in many states.

    He cited Lagos where he said companies had been employing such trainees.

    “For us to develop we need entrepreneurship development and that is the essence of this training,” he said.

    He tasked the trainees on challenges they would face at the initial stage of their businesses and urged them not to hesitate in seeking help and information which he said, were key to progress.

    “We will monitor you to find out how you are doing; the challenges you are facing or the progress you are making,” the country director said.

    The Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Mr Haruna Furo, lauded UNDP for the gesture and urged the beneficiaries to make maximum use of the training in order to improve their lives.

    He reiterated the commitment of the State Government to continue to collaborate with UNDP and other stakeholders in job creation, particularly for those willing to be self employed.

    Speaking of behalf of the graduating trainees, Jimmy Elot, thanked UNDP for giving them hope and a lifeline to build a future.

    “We will make sure that the resources expended on our training are not wasted,” Elot said.

     

  • Expert advises ICAN graduates on entrepreneurship

    Expert advises ICAN graduates on entrepreneurship

    The General Manager of Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited, Blessing Ayemhere, has advised graduates of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) on the need to embrace entrepreneurship.

    The Oil and Gas chief spoke in Lagos at the 47th induction ceremony of ICAN Accounting Technicians, West Africa (AATWA).

    He said the graduates could only escape being trapped in the unemployment net through entrepreneurial activities.

    The guest speaker at the two-day event, chaired by ICAN President Isma’ila Zakari, urged the 650 young graduates of  accounting technicians, among whom were prize winners, on the essence of chasing their dreams as young accountants.

    He said they must understand clearly what they really want in life.

    He said: “What are your dreams? Though the nation may be plagued by numerous challenges, there is hope, if only we can dream of a preferred future and commit to do what will make actualisation of such dreams possible. The rate of unemployment in Nigeria and indeed the Africa continent is alarmingly high and the only way we can combat it is to take to entrepreneurship.

    “This can be achieved if the inductees will free their potentials and think beyond doing accounting jobs to creating opportunities, especially in this era of technological innovations.

    “Your potential is ‘the you’ that can achieve uncommon heights. We must be creative and innovative; that is the only way we can be relevant in the scheme of things.

    “We must set clear goals about success. Without goals, we only drift and flow in the currents of life.”