The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria SMEDAN has organized a Training program for Tertiary institutions Lecturers on the best ways to teach Entrepreneurship skills among students.
SMEDAN is the Federal Government umbrella body responsible for stimulating, monitoring and coordinating the development of the Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sub-sector in Nigeria by initiating and articulating policy ideas for small and medium enterprises growth and development.
The Agency also promote and facilitate development programmes, instruments and support services to accelerate the development and modernization of MSME operations in Nigeria.
At the opening of the five days training program in Lagos, the chairman governing board of SMEDAN, Otunba Femi Pedro expressed concern over the alarming unemployment rate in the country especially among youths.
Mr. Pedro however expresses pleasure on the initiative of the five day Tertiary Institutions Entrepreneurial Program organized by SMEDEN for Entrepreneurship lecturers.
The Chairman said the increasing incidence of lack of employment in the country was the leading cause of kidnaping, banditry, cultism and other social vices among youths in the country.
“The unemployment rate in Nigeria is particularly pathetic as the number of those coming out from high institutions looking for employment opportunity is alarmingly embarrassing. Our education model should be practical focusing on soft and hard skills acquisition can be a tool for securing employment and emancipation of people through the acquisition of necessary knowledge.”
One of the program facilitator Mrs. NNeka Okekaru said the objective of the training was to enlighten lecturers more on how to teach their students the modern day entrepreneurial skills
“The essence of the SMEDAN tertiary institutions entrepreneurship development program is to change the mind set of our entrepreneurship lecturers across our tertiary institutions such that when they are teaching youths in schools on entrepreneurship they are also able to transform their thinking such that the youths would begin to see themselves with all the potentials to create wealth.”
Another facilitator Dr. Fred Opkara said the training would enable lecturers teach students on how to start their own businesses in other to create employment opportunities for others.
“There has to be a paradigm shift, it’s no longer going to be just get a good grade from school but to go to school, get a good grade and get a skill that will enable you come out with a bankable business ideas that would enable you start your own business.”
Participants at the training said the program will afford them the chance to discover more opportunities in entrepreneurships in other for them to be better teachers to their students
“We are looking at how we can take the full benefit of the information at our disposal to make entrepreneurial activities more successful.”
“We will look at what possible ways we can use to reach out to students so that we can bring out their creative ideas.”
Participants at the program were selected from over 50 high institutions in the country.
Are you a Small or Medium Scale Entrepreneur? You can Register your business with SMEDAN and enjoy government support through access to government and private sector facilities to help you grow your small or medium scale business faster. The Benefits include:
- Financial Services: Get access to loans from multiple providers, grants from governmental and private organizations, and insurance.
- Private Sector Benefits: SMEDAN gives you access to private sector benefits like trainings and educational content by professionals, consultants and private investments opportunities.
- Government Benefits: Get business support from the government through conditional grants and Survival Funds.
To Join SMEDAN visit https://smedanregister.ng/
Register to be part of this Federal Government Survival Fund Program with your business and(or) personal information.