UNDP, FG Signs MOU On Youths Entrepreneurship Empowerment ... As UNDP Commences Training Program For Youths, IDPs On Entrepreneurship in Borno

The United Nations Development Programme UNDP has signed a Memorandum if Understanding MOU with the Federal Government of Nigeria FGN on a five year youths and Internally Displaced Persons IDPs Entrepreneurship Empowerment training programmes in Nigeria.

The UNDP Country Director, Mr. Samuel Bwalya disclosed this Saturday in Maiduguri during a media round table discussion with journalists in Maiduguri held at Pinnacle Hotel Banquet Hall immediately after the closing ceremony of a 6 day Entrepreneurship training workshop for selected Youths and IDPs from the 27 LGAs of Borno state.

He said the programme which was targeted at 200 thousand Youths and IDPs in Nigeria was to fast track socio economic development of the country and create employment opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths and IDPs geared towards accelerating Entrepreneurship development and making the youths trained self reliant and employed as well as future employers of labour.

He added that the training program had started in some States of the federation including Borno state being the first pilot state next to Delta state while plans were underway to hold similar training programmes in Adamawa , Yobe, Benue and Edo states with 50 participants in each state.

The Director reiterated the UNDP’s readiness, commitment and determination to give the youths quality and standard training of international repute that will be globally recognized as competent and professional intellectuals and experts were schemed into the programmes across the country including technical colleges and colleges of technology as well as polytechnics and universities of technology.

He said the purpose of including the schools was to ensure continuity of the programme by the government and schools as resource persons even after the five years period of the implementation of the UNDP as it intends to disengage and hand over the programme to the federal government at the end of the five years agreement.

Mr. Bwalya .further explained that the programmes was intended to be executed or implemented in three phases or areas of specialization which include Viability, Innovation and Financial Support to the Young Entrepreneurs.

He said the reason for the third phase was because starters or young Entrepreneurs do experience financial difficulties when starting business even after acquiring credible training and knowledge. As such, UNDP plans to give small financial support to the trainees after the series of training scheduled for the selected participants across the country to enable them stay in their own businesses and for those who already have started businesses to augment their capacity.

The UNDP Director also said the intervention on viability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship programmes has a target of 200 thousand youths to be trained in 5 years while already a technical skills training in addition to the existing Entrepreneurship training workshop to empower the young girls and boys.

The Borno state Commissioner of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, RRR, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum thanked the UNDP for organizing the programme for the youths and assured state government continuous support and collaborations towards achieving the purpose of the programme.

Represented by the ministry's Director of Administration, Mr. Bitrus Mshelia, he advised the youths to make judicious use of the opportunities they have and put to use properly the knowledge and skills they acquired during the training while appreciating the efforts and understanding of the training facilitators and other collaborators of the programme.

Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry of RRR, Malam Alamin Isge also commended the UNDP for organizing the training workshop for the youths and assured that the ministry will assist in its own way the youths to realize their dreams as future Entrepreneurs as part of government youths empowerment scheme.

Certificates and awards were given to the participants with an advise for them to go back home and put the training into practice.