Cuso International Trains 12, 000 Entrepreneurs in Cross River
News February 12, 2017 Dianabasi Effiong
From Dianabasi Effiong, Calabar
The Country Director of Cuso International in Nigeria, Kenna Owoh, says the organisation is training no less than 12, 000 youths on entrepreneurship in Cross River State.
She disclosed this during the YouLead Private Sector Engagement to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria in Calabar.
Owoh said although the entire number may not end up becoming entrepreneurs, they would identify those who are passionate and support them to succeed.
The engagement was supported by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC), the Cross River State Government and funded by the Government of Canada.
Owoh said: “We came in consultation with stakeholders to help young people today and make them entrepreneurs. Young people have the passion to be entrepreneurs but we should be able to support and facilitate their ability to do that.
“We are working with all stakeholders to achieve this, we work with government to identify young people with passion to go into certain sectors and our project focuses of five sectors which are agriculture, fisheries, tourism, forestry and renewable energy.”
She said the sectors were key to the development of the economy of Cross River State.
The Country Director also said after the youths are trained, they would be introduced to microfinance banks to access loans to develop their business plan, while they continue to mentor and support them.
She said they would facilitate a one stop shop where people can go information such as where to get employment, what kinds of training are available on entrepreneurship, what kinds of grants and loans are available and so on.
Founder of LEAP Africa, Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, said this was the best moment for social entrepreneurs to thrive.
She said, “This is the best time for social entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs are individuals who identify social problems and come up with innovative solutions to address those social problems. There are social problems everywhere in Nigeria and there are many opportunities for us to rise up and solve our own problems.
“The youths should go into every area. There is no sector that does not have a problem. What has to motivate their selection is what they are passionate about, what they see that others don’t see, where they see opportunities, and that solution has to be demand driven so people have to want that solution that they are offering. Once they have determined that idea, the next thing is to develop a strategy for implementing that idea in partnership with others. There is a lot of funding to actually support individuals who have a passion and drive to solve social problems.”
Similarly some entrepreneurs at the occasion called on government at all levels to support private sector operators with the enabling environment to help them create social change and innovations for improved economy growth in the country.
They made the call in Calabar during a Private Engagement Forum organized by a Canadian agency, ‘CUSO International’ in partnership with YouLead and Mennonite Economic Development Associates for entrepreneurs in the state.
Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, a co-founder of AACE Food Processing and Distribution, said that government needs to create a non-competing environment for young entrepreneurs to drive their businesses forward.
Nwuneli, who is also the Founder of Leadership Effectiveness Accountability Professionalism (LEAP), said that over 1.8million graduates enters the labour market yearly looking for jobs.
She added that it has become very difficult for the government to absorb them.
According to her, giving young entrepreneurs the opportunity to excel in their businesses would further engage them in meaningful activities and thereby curbing youth restiveness.
“If the government can create a non-competitive environment for young entrepreneurs without frustrating them, we will be having thousands of young entrepreneurs as jobs creators in the nearest future.
“LEAP was set up to change the mindset of the young ones by projecting them for leadership positions and training them on how to develop their business plans.
“I am advocating for the establishment of a social innovation desk across the 36 states and Abuja with a view to create the enabling environment for young entrepreneurs to excel’’, she said.
Mr Evans Akpan, the Private Sector Partnership Representatives to YouLead Project Committee, said that the private sector needs government assistance because they drive inputs for the government.
“The private sector drives the economy by way of mentorship, employment, training, supply chain and production.
“The private sector provides the inclusiveness by way of engaging and training the citizenry in becoming better entrepreneurs’’, he said.
Mrs Nkoyo Toyo, a former House of Representatives member and the currently Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals to Gov. Ben Ayade, said it was important for the government to promote social change and encourage innovations.
“Government alone cannot provide the needed empowerment for the youths; we need to bring in the social sector to help us drive the economy forward’’, she said.
In her remarks, Mrs Patricia Wall, Head of Programs in Africa, CUSO International, said that CUSO has spent 50 years in Nigeria partnering with development partners with a view to building young entrepreneurs.
Dianabasi Effiong
