21,000 Bayelsans to benefit from social exchange market SME grant

A Non-Governmental Organization, Visioned Skills Development Center (VSDC) says it has concluded arrangements to issue a small grant to 21,000 entrepreneurs in Bayelsa State through the World Bank “bottom-up” project aimed at reducing the unemployment rate in Nigeria.

The Chief Executive Officer of VSDC, Apostle Isreal Kama, disclosed this yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, where about 2,000 participants converged at a seminar organised by the VSDC in conjunction with the Social Exchange Market.

He said that the grant will be sourced through the Social Exchange Market under the supervision of VSDC, for the implementation of the ‘bottom-up’ strategy of the World Bank project.

Underscoring the veracity of the grant, Kama said beneficiaries of the scheme could get grants as high as N10m to start small businesses that would be supervised by VSDC all year round for sustainability.

Speaking to newsmen after the seminar, he said “grants all over the world are always needed for a particular purpose to advance human development. The purpose of this particular grant available in Nigeria now is for economic revolution.

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“Ordinary Nigerian must be given the opportunity to offer solution to one challenge or another in order to drive our economy forward. Life everywhere is full of challenges. Various solutions to challenges of life generate 1. Self Reliance 2.Employment Opportunity and 3.Wealth Creation.

“But a huge percentage of ordinary Nigerians do not have what it takes to access capital either for business start-up or business standardization thereby relying on Government for source of employment. The economy of all the advanced nations is driven by people not government.

“Government only makes favourable policies that enable people to do such driving and that is what the government of Nigeria has done by the establishment of Development Bank Of Nigeria to create diverse opportunities for ordinary Nigerians to participate in economic diversification.

“Visioned Skill Development Centre mobilizes our member’s various project/business all over the country through our coordinators and submit them to Social Exchange Market where your Naira is your Labour and Productivity to be funded.

“Under the watch of Visioned Skill Development Centre, we are using this grant to promote 1. Agricultural development 2. Manufacturing 3. Production of finished goods 4. Processing of raw materials of various kinds 5. Skill and talent-driven market.

“The age range is between sixteen (16) and sixty five (65) Education is not and will never be a barrier to this project.

All necessary assistance shall be provided for any of our members who needs such especially in project execution guide steps.”