Ekiti drives entrepreneurship among pupils, earmarks 36 schools for training

As part of efforts to drive and instil socio-economic self- dependence and self-sustenance among pupils, especially at the secondary school level in Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose’s administration has launched School Enterprise Program in 36 secondary schools across 16 local government areas in the state.
BusinessDay reports that the entrepreneurial skills acquisition programme established during the first tenure of Governor Ayodele Fayose (2003 – 2006) in the state was resuscitated to empower young ones with required experience and expertise to control and handle small and medium-scale businesses to make them self-sustenance and dependence.
Speaking at a forum in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Thursday, Jide Egunjobi, commissioner for education, science and technology, said 36 schools are currently involved in the project and now have functional small- scale industries such as bakeries, poultry farms, feed mills, garment making pool, piggery, tie and dye, cottage industries for production of custard and beverages, soap making, block making, nylon packaging as well as cottage industry for production of plantain chips, among others.
He explained that the state government has already commenced reaping the dividends of the programme, adding that the exercise book factory at the Eyemote Grammar School, Iyin Ekiti, produces a significant percentage of exercise books being used for the World Bank-sponsored State Education Programme Investment Project (SEPIP) in the state.

Egunjobi recalled that Fayose-led administration introduced agriculture into the Schools Enterprise Programme as part of efforts to impact basic agriculture and entrepreneurial skills in school age children, adding that the aim is to build capacity of youths to make them self-reliant, create jobs, reduce unemployment, generate revenue and guarantee food security.
The commissioner, however, stressed that imbibing entrepreneurial skills should not be limited to school age youths, just as he emphasised the need for workers, particularly those in the public service, to look for productive ventures that would not unduly interfere with their schedule of work.
He urged workers in the state to learn from the experience of the economic recession which has led to irregular payment of salary and pensions, stressing the importance of adequate preparation for their eventual exit from the public service.
Earlier in his welcome address, Kola Ajumobi, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information Youth and Sports Development, said that his ministry is partnering with the Ministry of Education to inculcate the spirit of hard work and diligence in youths and people of school age in the State.

Ajumobi urged youths and workers in the public service to complement government’s efforts at making life more meaningful, stressing the need for them to take advantage of available opportunities in the state to become self-reliant and improve their prospect.

RAPHAEL ADEYANJU, Ado Ekiti