The Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has commenced a second phase of the CVL’s National Youth Intervention Project, aimed at providing technical skills training, entrepreneurial and micro-enterprise development for Nigerian youths.

Addressing journalists in office, Lagos, Patrick Utomi, founder, and CEO of the not-for-profit organisation, said that the objective of the program is to within 12 months, train and equip 200 youths in Delta State with entrepreneurship skills to start and run sustainable micro-enterprise.

Utomi, who lamented the unemployable condition of most graduates of Nigerian tertiary institutions, said the twin program aimed at training participants on self-mastering, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills will make fresh graduates employable in the labor market.

The first edition was organised in Ajegunle, Lagos State, in June 2016.

He explained that apart from the difference in a number of both editions, the budget for the second is N480 million, and the first was N30 million; attributing the variation to increase in starter packs and start grants.

The training, which he categorised as ‘A’ and ‘B parts, include: technical/vocational skills training for sustainable income generation activities, including food production, mental works/welding, sewing, tiling, hospitality/tourism, carpentry, vehicle repair, and bricklaying; and the ‘b’ part consists business planning and skills marketing.

“This project meant for the south-south zone, which is the second phase of the programme, (South-West, South-South, North-East, North Central, South-East and North-West, will be implemented in four different clusters of: Warri, Asaba, Agbor and Ozoro in Delta State and will directly benefit 400 participants”, he said.

Uchenna Achunine, chief operating officer of CVL, said that participants are trained to develop bankable business plans to access single-digit interest rates on loans of several initiatives by the CBN and the Bank of Industry (BoI), who are the project’s major partners. (Business Day Nigeria)

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