A federal lawmaker, Hon. Mukthar Monrovia, on Saturday said that he has trained 320 members in his constituency on various entrepreneurial skills.
Ahmed, who represents Kaduna South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, stated this during the commencement of the training in Kaduna.
He said the training was initiated to discuss, share and provide guidance for the strengthening of entrepreneurial skills.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was done in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Ahmed, represented by his Senior Legislative Aide, Dr Auwal Umar-Badikko, said it was obvious that several hindrances and problems inhibited entrepreneurial development.
To avoid this, the ‘Entrepreneurial Development Training Workshop’ was initiated by the Reps Member, specifically to help the constituents in developing entrepreneurial abilities.
According to Ahmed, sometimes, the constituents may have skills, but they require polishing and incubation.
“The training is perfect for them because it consists of a structured training process to develop an individual as an entrepreneur, with the requisite skills and necessary capabilities to play the role effectively,’’ he said.
Ahmed said that the training would guide the individuals on how to
start their businesses and effective ways to sustain them successfully, through stimulatory, supportive, sustaining, and socio-economic roles.
He added that the training was targeted at enabling the people get access to survival funds or loans from the government initiated to support Nigerians that are into business.
“The development and retention of highly qualified Kaduna South human capital is of strategic importance to the attainment of the vision, peace, integration and prosperity of the state and the country,’’ Ahmed said.
Also speaking at the event, the Kaduna Administration officer of SMEDAN, Nana Tom-Hassan, said the training was part of the Agri-Business Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS).
Tom-Hassan said AGSMEIS was a loan through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), sourced through commercial banks by putting five per cent of their profit to the central bank.
“The government had decided to come out with the money and give it out to entrepreneurs to use and return back with interest,’’ she said.
Tom-Hassan noted that Ahmed brought SMEDAN to train and certify his constituents to enhance their businesses and acquire other business initiatives so as to qualify and ease their access to the loans.
A participant, Hajiya Balaraba Sabo, a poultry farmer, said the training had broadened her thinking on ways to minimise losses and increase profits.
She added that if she could access the loan, she would expand her poultry farm by venturing into fishery.
Sabo thanked the Reps member for bringing the training to his constituency and hoped to be a beneficiary of any of the government’s grants or long-term loans.
NAN reports that the participants were trained on identification of business opportunities, business plans, guidelines for MSMEs and introduction to basic book keeping, among others.
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