We ‘re Ready for Nigeria’s Economic Emancipation, Says UNDP

Michael Olugbode in Damaturu

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expressed readiness to contribute towards the economic emancipation of Nigeria by building viable entrepreneurs.

The organisation is in the first phase of its planned training of 50 young entrepreneurs in each of six states in the country, namely Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Benue, Delta and Edo.

Speaking at the graduation of 50 young men and women taken through a weeklong training in entrepreneurship skills in Damaturu yesterday, the Head of the UNDP Sub-Office in Maiduguri, Mizuho Yokoi said in her home country Japan it was difficult for entrepreneurs to survive the first five years of business.

She said she hopes that the business environment in Nigeria is more receptive to new entrepreneurs. She said UNDP was concerned about the economic well-being of Nigeria and as such took out time to give out the needed skill for the survival of entrepreneurship.

Yokoi said knowledge is key to survival of entrepreneurship and that was what UNDP has given in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and intended giving to 150 others in Adamawa, Edo and Benue states. She said: “Knowledge is key to successful entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur needs to constantly learn and apply the knowledge learnt to the business.”

She added that “another thing an entrepreneur needs is resilience; an entrepreneur continues to put efforts until he/she succeeds. A failure can be addressed by applying more efforts which will yield growth and success. An entrepreneur has to pursue how to make the people happy and it is only by this that people will patronise the business.”

She revealed that “UNDP is in this to fight poverty and build the economy of Nigeria, because entrepreneurs provide jobs and improve lives of many, and by giving lives of entrepreneurs you have assisted many to live above poverty.”

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