Business

SMEDAN Equips 23 Industrial Dev Centres

Published

10 years ago

September 9, 2015

Adolescent girls, receiving counselling on the dangers of rape in Lagos. The girl child has often been a victim of vicious rape in recent times.

Director-General, Small
and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN),Alhaji Bature Masari, says 23 Industrial Development Centres (IDCs) have been equipped to train millions of Nigerians on skill acquisition.
Masari said in Abuja at a news forum that the 23 IDCs were handed over to the agency in 2013 to ensure that they were properly utilised.
“The IDCs have been neglected for decades; most of them were out of use.
“But when we took over, we visited all the centres with the view to ensure that we identify the major problems that necessitated their closure.
“And we have been able to appraise all the IDCs and we have been working very hard to ensure that all of them are now in operation, even though on skeletal basis.
“Most of our IDCs have equipment and machineries that have capacity to train millions of Nigerians annually on vocational skills acquisition,’’ he said.
Masari said some of the facilities in the IDCs were used to provide training for Nigerians who wanted to have one or two vocational skills before they set up their enterprises.
According to him, SMEDAN has reached out to individual state governments and private sector to collaborate with the FG through the agency, to ensure that all the IDCs are properly utilised.
“The IDC we have in Oshogbo, we have been working in collaboration with the Osun State Government and that IDC is now fully functional.
“The state government committed more than N200 million as part of our collaboration in rehabilitating some of the machineries and equipment in that IDC.
“In Kano, we are now collaborating with Kano state government with a view that Nigerians who are living in that area take full advantage of the equipment in the IDC.
“Only last week, the Kaduna State Governor, through his special assistant, wrote the agency asking for collaboration on how we can team up to ensure that the IDC in Zaria is properly brought back to full operation.
Masari said in 2014, SMEDAN did everything possible to ensure that money was voted for them to bring all the IDCs back into operation.
“It is now time for government to take full advantage of all available avenues that can help in the area of job creation and economic empowerment, which is what most Nigerians desire now,’’ he said.
Masari said SMEDAN also went into partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to train Nigerians through the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).
According to him, the NISDP which is domiciled with ITF, is training 1,000 Nigerians in the phase one of the programme.
“With the programme, Nigerian enterprise can begin to tap from the retinue of fully and well trained personnel.
“We will continue to train more and more Nigerians until we are able to fill all the skill gaps that we have in various industries in the country; that is the idea of the NISDP programme.
“our desire and determination to foster collaboration and partnership with private sector is because of the appreciation of the need for government to collaborate with the private sector.
“Government can’t alone provide employment generation and poverty reduction and ensuring economic inclusion all over the country; that is why we are out to identify willing collaborators.

Transport

Automated Points Concession : FAAN Workers Gave 72hrs To Revise Decisions In PH

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The trapatriate Unions conprising the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), and the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, (ATSSSAN), has given 72 hours Ultimatum to Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria FAAN, Omagwa Airport, Portharcourt to revise its recent decision on the concession of Tollgates and Parks to private hands.

The chairman of the Trapatriate Union, Comrade Felix Ohwoefe gave the Ultimatum yesterday immediately after the joint Unions meeting held at the Airport office of the union, Omagwa, Portharcourt.

Comrade Ohwoefe who double as the chairman of the National Union of NUATE said the two Unions have agreed to take drastic actions if the Authority of the Airport declined to step down it’s decision of concessioning the major revenue points to private hands.

According to the Union chairman, the two union was not aware of the concession plans, and that there were no due process to the procedures.

Comrade Ohwoefe said any attempt for the Airport Management to decline it’s demands towards the concession will result to barricading all entrance and access points of the Airport.

Expressing the the challenges associated to the concession, the Union Chairman said the gesture might resulted to massive sack of workers in the Airport.

The chairman also expressed foul play on the part of either individuals or government in the terms and conditions so given to the concessionaires, demanding the reasons of contracting the automated points to private hands for only 14 millions, when the FAAN is presently generating over 28 million naira monthly, even when the tariff was not reviewed upwards.

He describes the process to the procedures as fraud with intention to increase unemployment in the state.

“We are not against the concession of the Automated points, but due process must be followed. If government is concessioning the place, we are asking what will happen to our workers in the existing units.

“Secondly, if the concessionaires is taken over, they must pay higher than what the FAAN is generating presently, we are generating to the Management over 28 Millions monthly, but we had that the private company is required to pay only 14 Millions monthly, which is far below 5 percents of what we are generating presently, even when the tariff is increased, which means there is a foul play.

“The process is fraud either on the part of individual in the Government, or Government itself.

” The unions is saying no to the Concession until we come to a terms of understanding ourselves., we are afraid of loosing workers, we don’t want to loose any workers if due process is not followed in this hard of economy, we even demanding for employment of more workers in FAAN.” Comrade Ohwoefe said.

The Union used the opportunity to called on the minister of aviation, and the President of the Country, Bola Tinubu to intervene.

When contacting the Management of the Airport Authority through the head of Corporate Affairs, Dr Ngozi V. Onyeanwuna-Nwosu, she said the management has not given her the approval to say something.

Transport

FAAN Announces Pick-Up Points for Go-Cashless Cards

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced designated pick-up points for individuals wishing to obtain their Go-Cashless cards ahead of the March 1, 2026 deadline.

This was announced in a statement signed by the Director Public Affairs and Consumer protection, Henry Agbebire and made available to the Tide last Friday in Portharcourt.

According to the statement, Go-Cashless cards is at all FAAN commercial offices and access gates of Airports in the country .

The release further stated that cards will also be available at designated branches of Fidelity Bank Plc from March 16, 2026.

FAAN in the statement said the cashless policy followed the Federal Government directive mandating all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to transition to a cashless system to enhance transparency and reduce revenue leakages as well improve transaction traceability in the Aviation sector.

FAAN reiterated its commitment to full compliance with the directive, appealing to the public for their understanding and cooperation during the transition period.

FAAN also inform that the Go-Cashless cards can still be obtained at the designated points after the March 1, deadline.

The Authority assures airport users that the initiative will promote faster, safer, and more convenient transactions across its airports nationwide.

By: Enoch Epelle

Business

Fidelity Bank To Empower Women With Sustainable Entrepreneurship Skills, HAP2.0

Published

4 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Leading financial institution, Fidelity Bank Plc, has announced the launch of the second edition of its flagship women-empowerment initiative, the HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme 2.0 (HAP 2.0).

According to the report, the programme is designed to equip women with practical, income?generating skills and structured pathways to entrepreneurship.

Accordingly, the HAP 2.0 will build on the success of its inaugural edition held in 2023.

During media chat with journalists to herald the launch of HAP 2.0, the Divisional Head, Product Development, Fidelity Bank Plc, Osita Ede, explained that the initiative has been enhanced to deliver greater impact.

He said HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme 2.0 reflects their commitment to continuous improvement, having evaluated feedback from the first edition, they have returned with stronger partnerships and deeper mentorship programmes to ensure that women acquire not just skills, but sustainable economic opportunities.

Mr Ede, who said the programme is guided with real?world learning, also said that participants will undergo intensive apprenticeship training under reputable institutions and industry experts across selected fields such as hair styling, shoe making, auto mechatronics, and interior decoration.

Additionally, he said HerFidelity Apprenticeship Programme 2.0 goes beyond skills acquisition by offering participants a wide range of business advisory services.

These include business and financial literacy training, mentorship support throughout the apprenticeship journey, access to Fidelity Bank’s women?focused and SME financial solutions, as well as guidance on business formalisation and growth strategies.

Emphasizing the bank’s vision further, Ede said: “By integrating structured mentorship with entrepreneurial development, Fidelity Bank is positioning women not just as trainees, but as future employers, innovators, and economic contributors within their communities.

This aligns with our mandate to help individuals grow, businesses thrive, and economies prosper”.

It is noteworthy that interested participants are encouraged to indicate their interest by visiting https://bit.ly/Apprenticeshipbyherfidelity.

It is important to note that Fidelity Bank Plc is ranked among the best banks in Nigeria, with a full-fledged Commercial Deposit Money Bank serving over 10 million customers through digital banking channels, with 255 business offices in Nigeria and United Kingdom subsidiary, FidBank UK Limited.

It is reported that the Bank is a recipient of multiple local and international Awards, including the 2024 Excellence in Digital Transformation & MSME Banking Award by BusinessDay Banks and Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards, the 2024 Most Innovative Mobile Banking Application award for its Fidelity Mobile App by Global Business Outlook, and the 2024 Most Innovative Investment Banking Service Provider award by Global Brands Magazine.

By: Nkpemenyie mcdominic, Lagos