Okowa flags off training programme for 1,645 youths

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Wednesday flagged off a training programme for 1,645 youths, saying his administration’s interest in Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) was because it was the best way to tackle youth unemployment.

Okowa said more than 90 percent of businesses in Nigeria employ less than 100 persons, which put them in MSMEs category, asserting that was a sector that could get most of Nigerian youths off the street.

The training programme was flagged off at the Soghai-Delta, Amukpe, Sapele Local Government Area.

“By definition, MSMEs are companies that employ less than 250 persons and available statistics indicate that 97 percent of all businesses in Nigeria employ less than 100 persons and they account for about 50 percent of Nigeria’s productive workforce and 46.54 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.

He said further that “while multinational companies and big corporations get all the public attention and acclaim for their capacity to induce foreign investment capital, MSMEs remain the backbone for economic growth and social development in any society.

“Today’s event is undeniable proof that our administration’s S.M.A.R.T agenda is well and truly on course; it goes without saying that job and wealth creation are the bedrock of the S.M.A.R.T agenda, with YAGEP and STEP as the flagship programmes and other programmes under the Job and Wealth Creation Scheme are Production and Processing Support Programme (PPSP), Development of Agro-Industries, and Extension of Microcredit.

“All the programmes have been strategically designed, stringently planned and specifically tailored to tackle the problem of youth unemployment and produce lasting and sustainable prosperity across board. While previous programmes sought to prepare people for employment, the Job and Wealth Creation Scheme seeks to produce wealth creators and job creators.