The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) says it
has raised some 6,659 entrepreneurs from its gas fields in Bayelsa and Delta
from 2003 till date.
Mr Igo Weli, General Manager, External Relations at SPDC
stated this on Wednesday at a graduation and award ceremony for beneficiaries
of the oil firm’s enterprise development programme in Yenagoa.
Weli, who was represented by Mr Adebanjo Adekoya,
Manager, External Relations, SPDC noted that the company embarked on the scheme
to provide alternative income and to divert the attention of the youths from
restiveness.
According to him, SPDC has injected a total of N2.2 bn
into the Southern Swamp Associated Gas Solution area for community development
as top up funds for the Community Cluster Development Boards in Bayelsa and
Delta.
The 49 youths who completed the enterprise development
programme received start up grants of N19.60 million.
The beneficiaries were also assisted to register their businesses
and received certificates of registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
Speaking earlier, the facilitator, Mrs Belema Obigwe noted
that the beneficiaries received intensive training on business management and
assigned to established entrepreneurs for mentorship. .
Obigwe of the
Centre for Information and Development, a Non Government Organisation said that
130 youths nominated for the scheme by their communities were shortlisted in
April 2018.
He said that out of the number, 79 succesfully completed
the training while 49 of them passed the
assessment tests conducted at the end of te scheme.
A beneficiary, Robinson Erebi who spoke on behalf of
other recipients of the grant noted the content of the training was practical
and beneficial.
“We are grateful for this opportunity, I have tried and
failed in business twice but in the course of this training, I discovered why I
failed and now I am ready to get it done the right way.
“We were given the training to support our business ideas
and Shell is also supporting us with a start-up capital, so we are now out of
the labour market and they have encouraged us to expand to create more jobs,”
Erebi said.
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