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By Aherhoke Okioma, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State government, in partnership with the World Bank, Federal Government and the Bank of Industry, BOI, has held a one day training programme for youths aged 18 to 35 years, aimed at recruiting them as agents for the collation of data on small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the state.
The programme, tagged: ‘Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES),’ according to the government, was aimed at cushioning the effect of the novel Covid-19 pandemic on small and medium scale enterprises in the state.
Coordinator of the programme and technical adviser to the Bayelsa State governor on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue, Mr Timipre Seipulo, told newsmen that the intent of the Governor Douye Diri-led ‘Prosperity Government’ is to empower citizens of the state through deliberate creation of conducive environment for Bayelsans to thrive in their chosen professions and trades.
He noted that the state, after the programme, would have the needed data on SMEs across its eight local government areas for future planning and for the subsequent disbursement of the World Bank provided and BOI facilitated grant for SMEs.
Seipulo restated the commitment of the government to create jobs for those willing to engage in genuine sources of livelihood through the provision of revolving loans, regretting that the failure of successive empowerment schemes was the bane and absence of economic inclusiveness in the state.
Also, permanent secretary of the state Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, Ms. Patience Abah, reiterated the importance of SMEs in the economy, stressing that with the Covid-19 pandemic many businesses had suffered setbacks.
She noted that the state government was set to prosper all Bayelsans through the collation of data to enable efficient planning for economic growth.
Training the enrolled SMEs agents, the duo of the Bank of Industry’s resource persons, Ms. Annabel Ntuabunauzor and Mr Goodness Adewale, cautioned against improper utilization of the opportunities provided by the scheme.
The duo described the ongoing efforts at empowering Bayelsans by the state government as measures worth emulating, maintaining that the BOI and the World Bank have empowered no fewer than two million SMEs in Nigeria in the recent years.
The resource persons stated that data from relevant government financial authorities show that about 65% of Nigerians lack access to financial inclusion.
The financial institutions therefore, expressed the desire to continue partnering with governments and other sister institutions within and outside Nigeria in alleviating poverty, just as they described the role of an agent as an intermediary between a given principal actor and other body.
In their goodwill message and remarks, the duo of the state commission for Women, Children, Empowerment and Social Development, Mrs Faith Opene, and the senior special adviser to the governor on Employment generation, Mr Austin Oworo, again scored the state government high on its empowerment disposition.
The appointees noted that in the not-too distant future Bayelsans would be merrier, given that they have a government with the resolve to better the lots of its citizens, while advising that youths do not take for granted any empowerment programme the ‘Prosperity’ administration has put in place.
Similarly, participants to the programme have expressed appreciation to the government. Speaking to newsmen, one of them, Mr Oborisi Nadari, said the creation of different empowerment schemes by the state was a welcomed development, promising to make good use of the privilege accorded him through the programme.
