By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The Kogi Government says it plans to train about 10, 000 youths on entrepreneurship Development programmes in the state.
Mrs Rekiya Onnaivo-Sanni, Managing Director, Kogi Enterprise Development Agency (KEDA), who made the disclosure during a forum with Executive Members of GSM Association on Wednesday in her office in Lokoja,said that the state was about going into a partnership with an organization for the training to commence very soon.
She said one of the mandates of KEDA was to bridge the gab of interface between the state and federal government towards ensuring that the citizens benefit on the area of micro businesses.
“Presently, we have identified three key sectors we are going to discussing with President Muhammadu Bihari on Care facilities such as Cassava, Palm Oil and ICT businesses.
“This explains why we are having this forum with GSM Association on how to open up a gigantic GEM Village in Kogi, whereby people don’t need to go Lagos to address issues of their phones, iPad, Laptops and computers,
“As an agency, we have asssessed the operations of the association and discovered that they are well organized and very committed in adding up value to the economic development of Kogi,
“We are engaging them by this time because at the planning stage, we need to carry along beneficiaries already identified for scientific approach in achieving results, ” she explained.
Earlier, the Chairman, GSM Association, Mr Mohammed Idris, told the MD that he and his team were in her office to interface with her on partnership and how to contribute their quota to the economic development of the state.
Idris said the biggest challenge was a site where the GSM Village could be located with all necessary facilities needed for its ICT business to thrive and help boost the economy of State.
He disclosed that the association was well organized with various committees that could checkmate internet fraud and criminal activities of members and the public, especially phone thieves.
According to him, the association believes that a partnership with KEDA will mean better opportunities and ease of doing business for its members as well as offer better services to the desiring public.
