Training of youths on entrepreneurial skills commences in Abia.

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

In view of the high rate of un- employment rate and youth restiveness in the country, Abia State government says a training session organised for about 2000 youths drawn from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state will start fully on Monday, July 17, 2023 in Umuahia. It will last for 30 days.

The training is to empower Abia youths on entrepreneurship development and knowledge economy through online training. It is also aimed at alleviating poverty through provision of management skills.

The Special Assistant to Abia State Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation and Focal Person, National Social Investment Programs, Mrs. Ifeoma Thomas disclosed this while briefing the press in Government House, Umuahia. She explained that the exercise, which has participant would start from Saturday, 15th July, 2023.

According to her, the participants would be availed of the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial development skills using resources on a self e-learning initiative website. She said the program is to make all participants have access to stimulated entrepreneurship knowledge economy and various business ideas that would revolutionize their intellectual quotient.

Mrs. Thomas stated that the program, which is in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Ministry of SME and Digital Economy and some commercial Banks is initiated in line with the wealth creation agenda of Governor Alex Otti-led government. She added that, given the socio-economic realities, there was need to use knowledge economy as a tool to empower Abia youths to become job creators instead of job seekers.

The Special Assistant to Abia State Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation further urged the the benefiting youths to take advantage of the learning opportunity to acquire and develop individual business ideas and plans that would help build startups or strengthen existing businesses.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Vulnerable Groups and Poverty Alleviation, who was flanked by the other aides of the Governor, further informed that all the 2000 participants would receive UNIPRENEUR Certificate of learning at the completion of the program to enable them access funding for their start-up business with banking partners of government.

Contributing, the Deputy chief of staff to the Governor, Mr Chinedu Ekeke said the program is the first phase of the entrepreneurship training for Abia youths, adding that the State government intends to meaningfully empower young people with skills to earn a living.