SMEDAN trains 90 entrepreneurs on welding, fashion design in Kaduna

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) flagged off training of 90 entrepreneurs on fashion designing, welding and fabrication in Kaduna State.

Addressing participants, the Director General of SMEDAN, Mr. Olawale Fasanya said the training, which is done through National Business Skills Development Initiative (NBSDI), was to increase artisanal businesses amongst Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Fasanya, represented by Mr. Haruna Shuaibu, the Coordinator of NBSDI in Kaduna, explained that globally, emphasis had shifted from ‘paid employment’ to skills acquisition.

According to him, the programme would develop and increase the skills and further deepen the knowledge of participants on fashion designing, welding and fabrication for their self-sustainability.

Fasanya disclosed that, the choice of fashion designing, welding and fabrication was due to its high demand.

“When people are not employed or engaged in legal activities that would earn them a living, it is natural they resort to crime and illegalities for sustainability. To reduce that level of restiveness especially amongst the youths, we developed the NBSDI as our own contribution to take youths off the street,” Fasanya stressed.

He noted that the expected outcome of the programme will be improvement of business management practices and increased patronage of Nigerian artisans.

“We also expect increased number of formalised artisanal businesses, improved market support services by MDAs and responsible stakeholders to MSMEs.”

“Also in the same vein, the Agency is implementing the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) for micro enterprises in Nigeria. This programme is aimed at formalizing a majority of the nano and micro enterprises that are mostly operating in the informal sector.”

The programme involves registration of micro enterprises with the CAC, provision of micro insurance opening of bank accounts and provision of N50,000 grant each, and this has so far been implemented in 22 States where over 40,000 entrepreneurs have been impacted.

The Commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology, Prof. Kabir Mato said the state had thrived in taking care of its MSME’s especially through provision of skills in carrying out their businesses.

Mato, represented by the Managing Director of the Kaduna Enterprises Development Agency, Dr. Mustapha Shittu, assured of government’s commitment in ensuring achievement of MSMEs sub-sector of its dreams in the areas of job and wealth creation and poverty alleviation.