SMEDAN trained 25,000 small business owners in 2015 — DG

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) trained no fewer than 25,000 small business owners in various vocational and enterprise development programmes in 2015, an official said. The Director-General of SMEDAN, Malam Bature Masari, who made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said the agency had strategised to provide more services to Nigerians in the current year.

“No fewer than 25,000 small business owners were trained under various vocational and enterprise development training programmes of the agency in 2015. “This includes about 4,000 small business operators trained under SMEDAN’s 2015 capital project implementation across all states of the federation and the Federal capital, Abuja. “In addition to that, more than 1,000 business owners and starters have received various trainings, mentoring and counselling under the National Enterprise Development Policy piloted by SMEDAN.

“Also, more than 20,000 other business operators accessed SMEDAN empowerment and training programmes through the implementation of the 2015/2016 zonal intervention capital programmes of the National Assembly,’’ Masari said He said the zonal intervention capital programmes of the National Assembly were aimed at bringing succour and economic empowerment to Nigerians in the senatorial districts and federal constituencies.

Masari said the agency had adopted strategies to provide its services to more Nigerians by redesigning its training programmes to run throughout the year. “From this year the agency will be conducting its training programmes quarterly instead of waiting till the last quarter of the year,’’ he said. Masari said the agency had strategised to drive the Federal Government’s policy of massive enterprise and vocational training for the youth through the invigoration and strengthening of its monitoring and mentoring mechanism of U-win.

He said the policy would also be achieved through other programmes, such as Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship and Tertiary Institutions’ Entrepreneurship Development Programme.