SME 100 Nigeria trains entrepreneurs to boost dwindling economy

In a bid to boost small businesses as the bedrock of the nation’s economy, SME 100 Nigeria, has continuously empowered youths to promote self-reliance and wealth creation through skills acquisition and marketing.

SME 100 Nigeria Executive Director, Charles Odii, told The Guardian at a training forum in Lekki Lagos, that Small Medium Enterprises are huge employment platforms of any nation; but observed that most of them collapse before the five years benchmark. According to him, one of the group’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives is targeted at creating a new breed of entrepreneurs among Nigeria’s youth population and making their businesses stand test of time.

He added: “We have since been going to schools with our resource persons to train youths on entrepreneurship by catch them young, because from observation most Nigerian youths are not too exposed to many business education with practical entrepreneurship and skill acquisition.“

Odii pointed out that the organisation wants to create a positive mind-set among them, shifting them from paid labour mentality to professional business owners and employers.

He maintained that concentration on skills and marketing with entrepreneurial development through strategic education will advance the economy of the nation, reduce unemployment and provide financial returns to support trainees’ interest among others.

According to him, SMES 100 has provided support for youths and adults seeking to build careers, or becoming self-employed by giving practical technical training in a variety of key areas.

He maintained that trainees have opportunity to benefit from Mentorship, internship entrepreneurship, access to funds, tremendous employability advantage, and membership of enterprises network and a host of others. He pointed out that unemployment persists because young people have been denied of opportunities to grow their passion into thriving business.

In her Lecture, “Business and Budget planning “Financial Director West Africa Data and facilitator, Miss Nozipho Sianda, pointed out that training would empower young Nigerian entrepreneurs to be budget conscious and spend money moderately and not on of impulse.

She advocated that individuals, people and nations should have solid budgets in all their choices or activities ranging from personal, collective and national budgets to put in them in good financial tracks to add value to them and humanity.