The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has inaugurated an entrepreneurial club at the Ibom Metropolitan Polytechnic, Uyo, to prepare the students for self-reliance after graduation.
Speaking during the event on Saturday, the Director-General, Mr. Charles Odii, said the essence of the club was to empower students with the requisite entrepreneurial skills.
Represented by the state manager, Mrs. Lucy Ekpenyong, Odii said that many institutions across the country were only focused on skills training for their students.
”Skills training is only a small aspect of entrepreneurship; it makes the curriculum of many institutions limited,” he said.
The D-G stated that such limitations spurred SMEDAN to establish entrepreneurial clubs in tertiary institutions as a way of preparing students for life after school.
”We want our graduates to be ‘fully baked’, totally independent, and creative when they face the larger society.
”Unemployment is still high despite the skill acquisition programmes in schools because an entrepreneurial mindset is missing,” he said.
The DG said that SMEDAN would support members of the club through mentorship programmes and access to funding opportunities.
In her remarks, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet, described skills and an entrepreneurial mindset as important tools for life after school.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Rose Bassey, the commissioner said that skills acquisition should accompany school certificates from formal education.
”Gone are the days when acquiring a school certificate for formal education and acquiring entrepreneurial skills were separated.
”As a ministry, we are in support of holistic education; students should acquire skills while undergoing formal education,” he said.
Earlier, the Rector of the Polytechnic, Mr. Nnamonso Akpabio, commended SMEDAN for considering the institution worthy of having the club.
Akpabio urged the students to make the most of the opportunity by taking the coaching classes seriously and putting the lessons learned into practice.
”This will make you job creators and not job seekers upon graduation. I urge you not to treat the opportunity with levity, he said.(NAN)
