SMEDAN Empowers 40 Entrepreneurs With Laptops, ICT Skills

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has trained and empowered 40 entrepreneurs with Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills in Ebonyi. The Director-General of SMEDAN, Dr Olawale Fasanya, said this during the closing ceremony of a three-day training and empowerment programme held in Abakaliki on Friday. The programme was targeted at young entrepreneurs to improve micro small and medium enterprises. Fasanya, who was represented by Mr Chigozie Asochukwu, SMEDAN Coordinator in Ebonyi, said that the importance of ICT in doing business cannot be over-emphasised. He said the empowerment programme, which was in collaboration with Dole International Company Ltd., was aimed at giving business owners e-commerce know-how to increase their contributions to the nation’s GDP. He reiterated the agency’s commitment to business growth, urging the beneficiaries to practice what they had learnt. “This will go a long way in enhancing productivity, customer engagement and give the entrepreneurs a competitive advantage in doing businesses. “It will help in digital knowledge and tools needed to grow businesses online as well as enable efficient communication, data management and analysis. “This is a three-day training and the participants were engaged in three module including Google digital skills, digital market fundamental and business formalisation,” Fasanya said. Mr Njoku Ozoemena, who spoke on behalf of “City Boys Movement”, said the training became necessary to enhance e-commerce in the country. Ozoemena hailed the Federal Government for putting up the programme and urged the trainees to utilise the knowledge. One of the beneficiaries, Kelechi Njoku, lauded SMEDAN for exposing them to modern skills for business and pledged to utilise what she had learnt. The agency later gave laptops to the trainees to enable them promote their businesses. 

World Bank Support Girls’ Learning, Empowerment In Nigeria With $700m

The World Bank has approved a fresh $700 million loan for Nigeria to boost adolescent girls’ learning and empowerment. According to a statement published on its website, the lender said the new loan will serve as additional funds for an ongoing project known as the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment. The Bank noted that apart from the girls that would benefit from the financing, others included over 15 million students and beneficiaries, such as teachers, administrators, families, communities, and staff in existing and newly constructed schools. “The World Bank approved additional financing of $700m for Nigeria to scale up the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment programme whose goal is to improve secondary education opportunities among girls in targeted states. “The additional financing will scale up project activities from the current seven states to eleven additional states and increase the targeted beneficiaries to include out-of-school girls, those who are married, and those who have disabilities,” the statement read. The World Bank put Nigeria’s out of school children at over 12 million, with many of them in Northern Nigeria. It was also noted that an estimated one million children were affected by increased insecurity around schools in 2020-2021. The statement added, “In the seven AGILE programme implementing states – Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau – the number of girls in secondary schools has increased from about 900,000 to over 1.6 million. “Under the programme, over 5,000 classrooms have been renovated and over 250,000 eligible girls have received scholarships. “The AGILE programme has supported construction and rehabilitation of WASH facilities in secondary schools and the installation of computers and solar panels which make attending school more convenient and conducive for both girls and boys. Life skills, systems strengthening, and advocacy are other key aspects of the program which address social norms impeding girls’ education.” The World Bank Nigeria Country Director, Shubham Chaudhuri, stated that, “Closing the gender gaps in economic empowerment by ensuring girls have access to education and skills is key for Nigeria’s development and economic prosperity. “Nigeria’s working population will soon be one of the youngest and largest around the world, which means that investing in adolescent girls is imperative when addressing overall economic prospects and growth.”

First Bank, ELOY Foundation empower over 1000 women MSMEs

First Bank Nigeria Limited in partnership with the ELOY Awards Foundation has launched the 2023 Edition of the “Eloy Business Shower” designed and dedicated to encouraging, promoting and empowering businesses owned by women across Nigeria. The focus and aim of the awards are to expose women in business to important business skills, networking, and the Eloy Foundation Business Toolkit, which is a collection of business survival information.  This   will   further   be   executed   through   the First Bank’s FirstGem 9 percent Loan Scheme created for female owned MSMEs and the SME Connect Initiative.  The   Business   Shower   by   the   ELOY   Awards   Foundation   was   held   in   five states: Lagos, Delta, Anambra, Kano and Osun States from the 1st of July 2023 to the15th of   July   2023.      According   to   the Founder, ELOY   Awards Foundation, Tewa Onasanya “the ELOY Business Shower was held to support business owners to build sustainable businesses. This year at the second edition of the program, the company hosted 1087 women across the 5 states visited in Nigeria.   It   was   an   avenue   for   these   women   to   gain   access   to   entrepreneurial trainings from experienced businessmen and women, who armed them with tools and information to help them grow their businesses successfully”. The over 2300 women who registered for the program will also be invited to join the ELOY Foundation Network, a network that will continue to give them access to resources to help their businesses grow.  Expressing   her   delight   on   the   recently   concluded   ELOY Foundation Business Shower, Folake   Ani-Mumuney, First Bank’s Group Head, Marketing   &   Corporate Communications, said, “we commend Eloy  Foundation Awards for convening the second edition of its Eloy Business Shower which has impacted over 1000 female business entrepreneurs across the country.” “Female business owners that participated at the event in   the 5 cities –Lagos, Delta, Anambra, Kano and Osun States – are encouraged to take advantage of the teachings from the facilitators as these are essential to boosting their contribution to the economic activities in their host state, geopolitical zones and nation at large, whilst sustaining their businesses,” she concluded. Following the huge success of the event, Phase two of the event will begin soon, where  ELOY   Awards   Foundation   will   enrol   50   women   who   are   small   business owners onto the three month ELOY Foundation Sustainable Empowerment Program(SEP), these small business owners will be mentored for a period of three months and they  will  have access to  entrepreneurial trainings  every  month, mentorship, access   to   information   on   affordable   finance   and   10   of   these women considered for a grant to assist them on businesses.

Gov Yusuf swears in Kano’s first female Chief Judge, Dije Aboki

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf on Monday ushered in an historical moment when he swore in the first female Chief Judge of the state, Justice Dije Audu Aboki. Yusuf urged the judiciary to support his administration’s demolition and anti-graft policies to enable it to recover public assets acquired illegally by the immediate-past administration in the state. He spoke on Monday during the swearing-in ceremony for the first female Chief Judge in the state at Africa House, Government House, in Kano. The governor explained that his administration’s desire of demolishing illegal structures and recovering public properties was for the development of the state. Yusuf wondered why the Abdullahi Ganduje administration could demolish schools, hospitals, and other public places only to build shopping complexes for businesses. He described the relationship between the judiciary, legislature, and executive as not competitive, but complementary, promising to continue to maintain cordial relationships amongst the three arms of government. The governnoted that Justice Aboki has paid her dues in the temple of justice and through experience, talent and patriotism is by the grace of God elevated as the Chief Judge of the state. “While I congratulate you on this well-deserved appointment, may I also remind my Lord that this task is a daunting one which calls for total dedication and commitment for the peace, progress and stability of Kano state and Nigeria at large. “Having spent your public life within this sector, no one can lecture you on what the citizens expect from you as the Head of this very important Arm of Government,” he said. Yusuf enjoined Aboki not only to see her this elevation as a call to duty but also as a trust inv3sted in her by God to represent Him in the affairs of men. The governor said she was assuming duty when the state was operating financial autonomy of the three arms of government, including the Judiciary. He, therefore, charged Justice Aboki to take advantage of all the latitude that this autonomy provides to ensure that judiciary staff are well trained while the day-to-day running of the courts is seamless. “You can count on the support of the Executive Arm of Government and the Legislature to work with you in helping you cultivate a cordial working relationship with the staff,” he assured. Yusuf also drew the attention of the new chief judge to the challenges with the speedy dispensation of justice particularly as it involves some suspects that are arraigned for violent crimes. “It is our view that when such cases are dealt with expeditiously and those found guilty are punished, it will deter others hoping to engage in criminal acts,” said the governor. Besides, he advised her to beware of those who want to corrupt, confuse, intimidate or blackmail the judiciary to do their bidding. Yusuf however expressed optimism that the present leadership is very capable of withstanding and maintaining the sanctity of the Temple of Justice and the Legal profession in the state. Responding, Justice Aboki said she was grateful to God for the opportunity to serve and the privilege to be elevated to the position of Chief Judge of the state. She promised to serve with “integrity, honesty and justice” as well as do her best to ensure that the rule of law is adhered to at all times. “We will restore the lost glory of the judiciary in our state,” pledged the new chief judge. Justice Aboki also said she was aware of the challenges in the Judiciary and appealed for support and collaboration from the executive and legislative arms to succeed. She also solicited the support of the Justices, other judicial staff and professional bodies to meet the desire objectives of delivering justice. 

585 SMEs get N150k livelihood grants each in Kogi

Kogi has given N150,000 each to 585 beneficiaries in its 21 local government areas to expand their businesses. The beneficiaries, mainly petty traders, artisans and small business owners got the grants after receiving training under the state’s “Livelihood Grants’’ programme on how to expand their businesses. Mr Kehinde Olorunmosunle, Head of Delivery Platform for Social Transfer and Livelihood Grants, told newsmen in Lokoja on Saturday that the beneficiaries were between 18 years and 35 years of age. He described the beneficiaries as agile people that are able to run around and do businesses. “They are petty traders, artisans, hair dressers, bakers, and fashion designers, among others. “The training is meant to continue to remind the beneficiaries on the need to use the money judiciously. “The beneficiaries had earlier been trained on what was expected of them and their businesses before getting the money. “We went into their communities to confirm the authenticity of their various businesses before releasing the grant to them. “Immediately the money was given to them, we also moved into the communities to monitor how they applied the funds,’’ he said. Olorunmosunle advised beneficiaries to use the grants judiciously and not to divert them to frivolities. He expressed appreciation of the Kogi government for the timely release of funds that had enabled Kogi citizens to benefit from the grants. He also commended the Federal Government and the World Bank for the initiative, saying it had yielded tangible results in Kogi. Some of the beneficiaries, Mr Musa Abah, Miss Rejoice Thomas, and Miss Medinat Kabiru thanked the World Bank, and the federal and Kogi governments for the gesture.