The National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) has commenced training of 50 unemployed graduates in Nasarawa state on its ‘Start Your Own Business’ (SYOB) project.
Mr Rotgak Goden-Go’ar, the acting State Coordinator of the agency disclosed on Tuesday in Lafia during the opening ceremony of a five-day intensive training of the graduates.
Goden- Go’ar said that the exercise, which is under the Small Scale Enterprise Department of the directorate, was geared towards training and equipping the graduates with business skills.
He maintained that the training would enable the graduates to become self-reliant and contribute their quota to the development of the country.
Goden- Go’ar said that the Federal Government was determined to tackle youth restiveness and unemployment, thereby improving the standard of living of Nigerians.
According to him, the essence of the lectures is to train graduates to think outside the box and sharpen their skills as entrepreneurs.
“Today marks the commencement of a five-day intensive training that will usher you into becoming entrepreneurs of repute that will transform the business landscape of the state and the country at large.
“You will be taught how to discover your potential as an entrepreneur.
“In addition, you will be drilled on how to avoid business failure, how to write a feasibility study report amongst others.
“A good feasibility report will grant you access to credit facilities either from a financial institution or a venture capitalist.
“The test of the quality of your feasibility report will be the speed in which the project assesses funds.
“It therefore means that whatever efforts you put into this training will be evident in the quality of your feasibility report,” he said.
Goden- Go’ar urged the beneficiaries to take the training with the seriousness it deserved in their interest and for the overall development of the country.
He commended the agency’s Director General, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo for working tirelessly in bringing different schemes that would tackle restiveness and unemployment in the country.
Goden- Go’ar reiterated the agency’s readiness to collaborate with the state government, individuals and organisations toward tackling youth restiveness and unemployment in the state.
Also speaking, Mr Obadiah Boyi, the State Commissioner for Trade, Industries and Investment, commended NDE’s efforts in training youths and others to be self-reliant.
Boyi, who was represented by Rilwanu Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, expressed the state government’s commitment to initiate good policies and programmes with direct bearing on lives of the youths and other citizens.
Responding, some of the beneficiaries, Mr Thomas Bako and Mr Yarwa Ahmad, thanked the NDE for the gesture and promised to use the knowledge gained effectively.