Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno has said that 10,000 women would benefit from the state government partnership with Enterprise Development Centre ( EDC) for capacity building and training on Small and Medium Scale enterprises in the state.
Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) at Government House in Uyo on Friday, Eno explained that the partnership will yield mutual benefits and ensure the attainment of the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda goal of capacity building and entrepreneurial development.
Eno disclosed that the new capacity-building programme for 10,000 women was a follow up to the 400 youths already undergoing Entrepreneurship Accelerator Programme at the Ibom-LED training centre adding that the programme was already meeting the desired purpose.
He maintained that it was not enough to provide capital for people to get into businesses ignorantly and emphasized the need for training on business ventures for optimal level of confidence in view of the critical roles Small and Medium Scale Enterprises play in creating employment and boosting the economy.
“The vision for Ibom-LED is to raise entrepreneurs and we also want to support them, but it’s not just enough to give people money. You have to train them and make them reliable.
“So this partnership for me is critical. I thank the EDC for this partnership and ask for more of this support to realise the visions that we have set out and at the end of it, Ibom-LED can truly say we have developed our SMEs. We can’t get it wrong with SMEs”.
According to him, with Ibom-LED, young Akwa Ibom people would develop their talents in managing human and material resources and become better leaders, than venturing into politics ill-equipped for leadership.
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The Ibom-LED Team Leader and Managing Director of Akwa Ibom Investment Corporation (AKICORP) Pastor Imo-Abasi Jacob, explained that the Enterprise Development Centre is an arm of the Pan Atlantic University, formerly known as Lagos Business School and expressed hope that the goodwill expressed so far in granting Ibom-LED access to their capacity building programme will be better for the state.
Responding after the execution of the MoU, the Head of Legal Team of Enterprise Development Centre who is also the Head of its Alumni Relations and Support Services, Barr. Nnenna Ugwu expressed satisfaction with the seriousness of pastor Umo Eno-led government in human capital development adding that their offer in entrepreneurial training for 10,000 young women in Akwa Ibom State through Transforming Nigerian Youths Programme, was initiated in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.
Ugwu explained that the programme was meant for young women between the ages of 18 and 35 who are already in business and aspiring to grow as the programme has provision for support services for participants.
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