…… in Bauchi
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), says it has begun a five-day entrepreneurship skill development programme for 50 graduates in Bauchi State.
The exercise is being implemented in collaboration between the directorate and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
NIRSAL was established in 2013 by the Central Bank of Nigeria, to improve the livelihoods of small holder farmer, enhance financial inclusion and support growth of Small and Medium Scale Entreprises in the country.
NDE’s Director-General, Malam Abubakar Fikpo, said that the essence of the exercise was to expose the participants on how to access facilities under NIRSAL and other financial institutions.
Fikpo, represented by Mr Ali Yaya, Bauchi State Coordinator of the NDE, said that NIRSAL microfinance bank would sensitise participants on viable packages offered by the bank.
According to him, this will enable the participants to write their feasibility reports at the end of the training exercise.
“With such articulated feasibility report, you will be able to go to any bank and seek for loans without hindrance.
“By God’s grace, most of you will be able to get the loans to start your own businesses,’’ he said.
While urging the participants to pay attention to the training exercise, Fikpo said that series of lectures would be delivered on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial development.
Head of Department, Small Scale Enterprise in the directorate, Mr Jubrin Habeeb, said that the training aimed at sensitising participants on how to keep their minds completely off white collar jobs.
“This is to inject the spirit of entrepreneurship into the participants to become employers of labour,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Yusuf Timothy, Credit and Marketing Officer, NIRSAL, said that the bank initiated lots of packages to support growth of SMEs in the country.
Timothy urged participants to visit the bank at the end of the training for more information on loan application processes.
According to him, the bank has branches in Bauchi, Jama’are and Katagum Local Government Areas, adding that it would soon establish offices in all the 20 LGAs across the state.
