The Advisor of Entrepreneurship and Job Creation of GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft Fῡr Internationale Zusammenarbeit), Babafemi Oyediran, said that over 30,000 students in 330 secondary schools gained entrepreneurship skills through the Students Entrepreneurship Activity Hub (SEA – Hub) in Nigeria.
According to him, this has further enhanced their entrepreneurship skills and prepared them for the future adding that out of the figure, 60 per cent of them are female in 330 secondary schools through skills acquisition.
The Advisor of Entrepreneurship and Job Creation of GIZ who stated this in Jos, Plateau State during SEA – Hub Media pointed out that 66 local government councils have so far been covered in Nigeria.
He explained that Secondary School students often get introduced to vocational skills but rarely have the chance to develop entrepreneurial skills to enable them to become self-reliant and not dependent on scarcely available white-collar jobs.
“Over the years, entrepreneurial skills training and development has become extensively targeted at adult learners across the various sectors. While training to capacitate adult entrepreneurs becomes popularly accepted as a means to ensure sustainable economic growth, a focal majority of the young future workforce remains inadequately exposed to the requisite skills and possibilities of practical business.
“Also in recognition that the youth demographic is potentially Nigeria’s future economy driver, GIZ considers it necessary and even more impactful to foster a culture of innovation and critical solution-oriented mindset among secondary school students through complementary practical entrepreneurship experience and activities,” he said.
The Advisor further posited that over 342 secondary schools already have active SEA – Hub clubs which are presently located in 12 states of the federation of which Plateau State played a very significant role without any support from GIZ.
Oyediran pointed out that SEA–Hub was also independently piloted in Oyo State without GIZ as over 300 SEA–Hub graduates are now running their personal businesses which translated to one to two jobs created per graduate leading to over 600 jobs created directly.
He further disclosed over 700 teachers have also keyed into the project, adding that the future of the SEA – Hub is very bright as two entrepreneurs trained by it are now self–reliant.
Also speaking, a member of staff of GIZ, Tope Salami, said that the project is a sure way of securing the future of Nigerians to be self–reliant as they prepare business opportunities for the people.
Salami elucidated further that SEA–Hub does not interfere with the student’s curriculum as they learn to build business structures, adding that Youths and Sports Development Ministry partners with them to ensure the success of the project.
Also, business expert and one-time adviser on business to the government of Plateau State, Dr Ezekiel Gomos, announced that every year, he would train and mentor five young entrepreneurs free of charge, adding that the state government will introduce SEA – Hub in all secondary schools as part of their curricular activities.
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