SMEDAN has started training 90 unemployed youths in fashion, leatherwork, and hairdressing in Taraba state. Olawale Fasanya, the Director-General of the agency, made this known during the opening of the National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI) program in Jalingo on Monday.
The program is aimed at supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the most practical way possible. The Director-General said SMEDAN developed the program to provide vocational skills, entrepreneurship skills, and empowerment materials to address the capacity gap of youths. He also said the program is designed to enhance youths’ engagement in productive ventures, thus enabling them to fill the artisan gap in Nigeria and earn a living.
The Director-General noted that the program had been implemented in all states of the federation, including the FCT, and had impacted 3,330 entrepreneurs. He advised participants to take the training seriously as it is an opportunity to end poverty and unemployment. Solomon Musa and Halima Inuwa, two participants, praised the initiative, saying it would positively impact the lives of Nigerian youths and reduce youth restiveness in the state and the country.
