By Habibu Harisu
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in partnership with Sokoto State Government has begun an entrepreneurship training for 100 teachers across the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme is aimed at stimulating the culture of entrepreneurship and participants are expected to train students in their respective schools.
Speaking at the commencement of the three-day training on Tuesday in Sokoto, Dr Dikko Radda, Director-General (DG) and Chief Executive of SMEDAN, said that the programme was carefully designed to guide the teachers on how to handhold the pupils/students toward their entrepreneurial journey.
Radda, who was represented by Mr Friday Ofara, the Director, Partnership and Liason of SMEDAN, explained that it was a train-the-trainer programme meant to be stepped down to the students.
The D-G said that the prepared manual for the training includes: “How to Become an Entrepreneur”, “Identifying Business opportunities”, ” Sales and Marketing Skills” and “How to Secure Capital to Start a Business”.
Others are: “Where to Do Business”, “How to Keep Business Records”, “Regulatory Issues”, “Developing Business Model and Plans” among others,’’ he said.
The chief executive said that the agency initiated the programme to prepare the young ones for life-changing opportunities than to just get degree certificate to look for job.
He said that the agency was optimistic that the programme would go a long way in actualising the Federal Government’s efforts of lifting people out of poverty.
“World Bank predicted that there would be additional injection of 40 million people joining the economic active group by 2040 in Sub-Saharan Africa which is promising economic performance within the region.
”It was on this premise that the Mind Shift Entrepreneurship Programme (MEP) was conceived by SMEDAN and designed to engaged vibrant energy of our students and youths and channel it into productive venture creation and management of businesses.
”The programme is to provide access to functional and hands-on entrepreneurship/financial literacy and community service education to every primary and secondary student in Nigeria,” Radda said.
He said that the programme was also in line with Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurship Development Programme (TINEDEP) and acknowledged by universities, polytechnics and colleges of education as well as regulatory authorities.
He, therefore, urged the state government to take ownership of the programme and step it down to all primary and secondary schools in the state.
Responding, the state’s Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Bello Abubakar, commended the agency for the partnership to train teachers on entrepreneurial skills with a view to curtailing poverty, unemployment and restiveness.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Musa Gobir, described the programme as apt and in line with the state government’s development plan as captured in Sokoto Economic Development programmes.
He said the government would continue to give priority to human capital development through huge investment in the education sector.
Abubakar urged all the participants to take the training seriously and step it down in their respective schools and assured of its sustainability.
Some participants, A’ishatu Musa, Malam Aminu Bello and Malama Zahra’u Bello, expressed appreciation over the opportunity and assured to live up to the expectation of imparting the skills on the students.
NAN reports that the event was attended by Chairman of Sokoto State Teachers Service Board, Alhaji Garba Bello-Yabo, Directors in the state Ministry of Commerce, Alhaji Bandado Abdullahi and Alhaji Abdullahi Dansarki among other dignitaries. (NAN)
