The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has empowered 145 artisans in Abia State with tools and equipment that will enable them carry out either of shoe making, tailoring or phone repairs under the National Business Skills Development Initiative.
The artisans, who comprises of youths, retirees, men and women received industrial sewing machine, shoe making tool-kit as well as phone repair-kit and a generating set depending on their area of specialization.
The distribution of the items, which took place today at A-Plus Hotel, Aba Road Umuahia, saw beneficiaries over-whelmed with joy.
In an exclusive chat with National Ambassador, the Chief Executive Officer of SMEDAN, Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda, represented by Mrs. E. Andy, Assistant Director Enterprise Development and Promotion Department, said that the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit had earlier collected all the data of the beneficiaries to ensure that the actual artisans are reached.
“This is for the South East and Abia State is part of the South East,” Mrs Andy said, “In Abia State we had three different sections, shoe making, Fashion and designing as well as phone repairs. All of them were trained in entrepreneurship development so that they will be able to run their business successfully and profitably.”
According to Mrs. Andy, the beneficiaries will be monitored to ensure that the equipment given to them are put to good use and if any needs assistance SMEDAN will provide assistance through the Business Development Service, free of charge.
She further called on the unemployed to visit the Abia State office of the agency beside new Zone 9 Police Headquarters, Umuahia, as well as the SMEDAN portal to enroll in different programs of the Agency in order to develop their entrepreneurial skills, become employers themselves and be alleviated from poverty.
One of the beneficiaries, Kenechukwu Victor, who received a complete set of industrial sewing machine, expressed delight for being part of the program and promised to put the equipment to good use.
This empowerment could not have come on a better day than the day the executive governor of Abia State Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu is being Awarded the Best Governor by the New Telegraph Newspapers for his giant strides in the development of small and medium enterprises in Abia State.
