The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reiterated its commitment to intervening in the real sector of the Nigerian economy as well as creating employment opportunities for the teeming youth of the country.
The Bank’s Deputy Governor, Corporate Services, Alhaji Suleiman Barau, stated this on Monday at the opening ceremony of the entrepreneurship training for the first tranche of trainees on entrepreneurship development at the African Community Bridge Foundation in Abuja.
Alhaji Barau, who cited the lack of job opportunities as one of the major challenges facing the youth demography in Nigeria said the training was aimed at changing the psyche of young graduates from seeking white collar jobs to becoming self-reliant men and women who will not only be gainfully employed but also be employers of labour.
According to the CBN chief, the training would help to develop the skills of participants in the areas of starting up businesses, sourcing for finance, legal aspects of business and other vocational skills.
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While thanking the CBN for providing the finance, Alhaji Barau, who is also the Chairman of Basico Youth Group, urged the participants to take advantage of the training.
In his remarks, the President of Basico 77/78 and 1981 graduating Class of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Yahaya Ali Amefani, said training of youths in vocational skills was needed to mitigate the challenge of unemployment faced in the country.
He added that the entrepreneurship training would offer participants the opportunity to identify their vocation and how best to realise their full potentials.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the African Community Bridge Foundation which is the facilitator of the programme, Mr. Joe Alegieuno, assured the participants of trainings commensurate with international standards.
The entrepreneurship development training is being facilitated by Basico 77/78 and graduating class of 81 of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, and financed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
A total of 49 candidates are to be trained in business/economic and vocational skills geared towards inculcating entrepreneurship development.
