CBN partners Peace Corps on enterpreurship development

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)- Entrepreneurship Development Centre Southwest ,has said its desire is to ensure that every Nigerian becomes an entrepreneur.
The Programme Director of CBN-Entrepreneurship Development Centre Southwest, Dr. Olumide Ajayi, stated this on Monday during the opening ceremony of a two-week enterpeurship training for some officers and men of the Oyo State Command of Peace Corps of Nigeria at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
According to Dr. Ajayi,”Our aim is to ensure that every Nigerian becomes an entrepreneur. If we embrace entrepreneurship, we won’t be dependent on oil. We would not import food,there would not be recession”.
Dr. Ajayi said the essence of the training was  to impart on the participants skills which were not given in the school and teach them how to set up their own businessess, get money and employ people. He remarked that the programme started about nine years ago.
“We want to give them skills to create jobs. White collar jobs are no longer available. We are not taught these in the school” he said.
Saying anybody who is educated but does not have skills cannot make it. ” Only those who are well prepared would be rich. Cramming does not mean you will be rich. What will give you money is the ability to convert knowledge to money. It is easy to make money. You can be rich if you make up your mind to do so”.
He disclosed that the Centre had trained 18,000 people, saying Bank of Industry is also involved in the funding. He added that there are opportunities for the youths and entrepreneurs as provided by the Centre.
While declaring the training open, the Oyo State Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Patriot Oludare Adesina, stressed that entrepreneurship is key.
On the purpose of training Adesina said  the participants would be trained on how to write business plans and be entrepreneurs, which would be funded be the CBN.
He added that it would empower the participants to add value to themselves and their communities.
“CBN wants youths to grow and every Nigerian to be in business.
He charged the officer to add value to their communities”, he said.
Going down memory lane, Adesina disclosed that some officers of the Command had been beneficiaries of the programme.
Speaking at the event, a branch manager of a commercial bank, Mr. Olufemi Itasanmi, said the bank is ready to give loans to the entrepreneurs at nine per cent interest rate. Saying the focus of the loan are agricultural value chain, ICT and services.
He stated that his bank is ready to support and assist willing entrepreneurs and give them a sense of entrepreneurship.
He added that the certificate of the borrower would be used as collateral upon providing one guarantor.