Commissioner Lauds SMEDAN Over Youths’ Talents Dev

The Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mrs Tonye Oniyinde, has commended the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) for bringing the youth together to sharpen their skills and talents.
Mrs. Oniyinde, who was represented by a director in the ministry, Mr Friday Ndigbara, stated this yesterday in Calabar at the closing ceremony of a four-day talent-hunt programme on fashion, arts and craft organised by SMEDAN The Tide reports that over 100 south-south youths participated in the talent hunt programme. They were trained for two years on business and the other two days on pitching.
Speaking at the closing ceremony yesterday, the Director General of SMEDAN, Dr Dikko Radda, said that the programme was designed towards discovering hidden talents and showcasing innovative talents in fashion, arts and craft.
Radda, who was represented by Dr Friday Okpara, Head of Partnership and Coordination Department at SMEDAN, said the programme was geared towards employment generation through wealth creation and self-reliance, thereby reducing poverty.
He explained that the programme was a complete hand-holding programme from identification, selection, to start up with enterprise support opportunity and facilitating necessary linkages and visibility.
“This programme is in partnership with the Cross River Government through the liaison office, Abuja, with over 100 innovative talents/ideas in fashion, arts and craft. It will be identified and supported with financial assistance and technical support through entrepreneurial training.
“The selected participants will then pitch their ideas to the panel of judges for evaluation and subsequent selection of the best 20 in both fashion, arts and craft.
“The best 10 ideas in each category will be empowered through further capacity development, linkages and visibility via e-marketing.
“The first, second and third positions from the top 10 in each category will be further empowered financially and technically,” he said.