Google to commit $3.7m for small, medium businesses in Nigeria ― Sports Minister

Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare, on Monday, disclosed that Google is to commit the sum $3.7 million for small and medium businesses in Nigeria.

The minister disclosed this during the 2020 budget performance/2021 budget defence held at the instance of the House Committee on Youth Development, chaired by Hon Yemi Adaramodu.

He explained that the Ministry also trained over 15,000 youth on digital skills throughout the COVID-19 lockdown and now, working with the IBM under the digital nation and the ministry’s Digital Youth Nigeria Initiative.

While giving an update on the budget performance, Mr Sunday Dare explained that out of the N2.8 billion approved for capital expenditure, the sum of N1.3 billion was released and in the last four years.

Out of the N13.2 billion overhead appropriation, the sum of N1 billion was released while the personnel cost was N48 billion as administered by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation representing 50 per cent release performance As at September 2020.

For 2021 budget, the Ministry proposed N2 billion for personnel expenditure, N2 billion overhead expenditure and N9.9 billion as capital expenditure.

In his response, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry had received one million applications for the N75 billion National Youth Fund already received and being processed.

While noting that the 2021 capital budget proposal was higher than last year, the Minister argued that the proposed budget was grossly inadequate to finance the maintenance of five national stadia, the mini sports centres across the country and the youth development centres across the country.

Mr Dare noted that the quest of the ministry to progress with the concessioning of the national stadium, Lagos and Athletes’ hostel of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja has been hampered due to paucity of funds.

As part of the successes recorded, the “Ministry trained over 15,000 youth on digital skills throughout the COVID-19 lockdown and now, working with the IBM under the digital nation and the ministry’s digital youth Nigeria initiative.

“We also realised that we needed to leverage in our Public-Private Partnership considering that we don’t have the kind of funding that we need. We have a Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with IBM, Microsoft, recently we signed with Google.

“Google will train 500,000 youth for free through a platform they are setting up. Google will provide $3.7 million for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) that are youth-driven based on a database put together by the ministry. We have an MoU with Wilco to train over 5,000 youth in digital metering and then we have a partnership with Guineas Nigeria. Not all of them are fully activated but we have signed MoUs and which should be on the way shortly.”

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The minister equally revealed that the ministry has received over 1 million applications have so far been received for the National Youth Intervention Fund.

In his remarks, Hon Yemi Adaramodu, said considering the events of the past few weeks, especially with the #EndSARS protests, the budget of the ministry should be the first of its kind.

According to him, the budget of the ministry that will handle youth matter should be the first of its kind in Nigeria and when I look at what is submitted here, even the budget performance of this current year- 50%, 40%, 35% and then we want the youth to be taken care of, is it not going to amount to lip service?

He added, “This government has a lot for the youth, so many programmes but how are these programmes being run? When you have a programme for the youth and the ministry in charge of the youth is not in charge of that programme or be part of that programme, definitely, how are you going to reach the beneficiaries.”

Other lawmakers who spoke during the review of the budget defence, including Hon Luke Onofiok expressed concern over the sum of N313 million spent on research development, the level of involvement of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development in the implementation of the N75 billion national youth fund, as well as the indiscriminate arrest and detention of youths who are engaged in app development and other innovation hubs, among others by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other security agencies.

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Goggle to commit $3.7m for small, medium businesses in Nigeria ― Sports Minister