SMEDAN trains teachers to promote entrepreneurship development, vocational training in schools

As part of the policy to prepare students to be productive contributors to the economy, no more than 100 teachers have been trained in capacity building to promote entrepreneurship development and vocational training in primary and secondary schools.

The programme will take place in 12 states of the federation with 100 teachers and education officers per state namely; Kano, Zamfara, Plateau, Niger, Taraba, Gombe, Oyo, Osun, Enugu, Abia, Rivers and Bayelsa.

According to the organiser of the training in Osun State, Small And Medium Enterprises Development Agency Of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in partnership with the state government, the program focuses on changing the present educational system which only prepares students to be jobseekers.

In his address, the Director General and CEO of SMEDAN, Dikko Umaru Radda, asserted that the Federal Government economic policy focuses attention and supports the development of non-oil revenues, which according to him, to benefit from the future direction of the economy, government and the educational authorities should prepare students with hands-on curricular.

Umaru, who was represented by the zonal coordinator of the SMEDAN in Southwest, Olukayode Shode said the programme aims to build the capacity of primary and secondary school teachers and arm them with the requisite knowledge they need to in inculcate the culture and spirit of entrepreneurship into the students.

In his words, “the alarming increase in crime, banditry and restiveness in the country can be easily attributable to the increasing rate of unemployment of our

youths, due to their lack of preparedness to start and successfully run their own businesses. Youths burst with resourceful energies which if not harnessed early and channelled positively and productively, can become detrimental to self and the society at large.

“It is worthy of note, that the introduction of Entrepreneurship Development Centres (EDCs) in Universities and on NYSC orientation camps have impacted positively on many Nigerian graduates, who no longer wait for white-collar jobs after graduation, but start their own businesses and create jobs for others.

“In our present educational system, certificates and degrees only prepare students to be jobseekers and not job creators, because the National Schools Curricular does not place the needed emphasis on entrepreneurship development and vocational training, which prepare pupils/students to be productive contributors to the economy.” he said.