14,942 Women, Youths Trained In Benue Skills Drive Scheme

The Benue State Government has trained 14,942 women and youths in 40 different skill-acquisition programmes to curb the menace of unemployment and idleness in the state.

The Group Managing Director, Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr Raymond Asemakaha, who disclosed this during the graduation ceremony of the trainees, informed that the company, in conjunction with the state government, would establish a business fund to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

According to Asemakaha, “particular attention would be given to youths and women venturing into entrepreneurship after the training”

The GMD said, “Empowering the beneficiaries to transform their skills into thriving businesses would stimulate Benue’s economic growth”

He further urged the state government to enact business-friendly laws that would enable young entrepreneurs to access larger markets and strengthen SME development across Benue.

“We are working to domesticate the start-up loan law; it has already been done at the federal level. We are doing this to enable our trainees, after graduation, to have the seed capital to become business owners”

“One of the major problems we have in the state is that people don’t have seed capital, but when the law is established in the state, we should be able to give the start-up capital for our teeming youths with various skills”

“The governor has thought that the best thing to do is to invest in human capital; that’s why he has put the training together for us to reengineer and redirect the economy and train these persons, not just in the theoretical aspect but also the practical aspects to improve their livelihood”

Additionally, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Mobilisation and Illegal Levies, Terver Gbenda, explained that his office was able to sponsor 6,000 women and Youths to participate in the training.

While acknowledging that all beneficiaries need support to kick-start their businesses, Gbenda further noted that the programme has helped many women and youth off the streets.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Michael Ogleba, who is the State Commissioner for Finance, assured the trainees of government support to enable them to engage in the business thoroughly.

The Finance Commissioner urged the graduates to work hard through honest labour, stressing that what they have learned will stay with them for life.