Niger State: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has intensified efforts to promote youth entrepreneurship through the Students Entrepreneurship Activity Hub (SEA-HUB) initiative in secondary schools. Mrs. Maureen Achonu, Assistant Director at SMEDAN, highlighted that the agency is collaborating with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to drive this initiative.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Achonu explained during a sensitization program at Government Girls Science College (GGSC) in Sabon Wuse, Tafa Local Government Area, that the initiative aims to shift students’ focus from seeking white-collar jobs to becoming self-reliant job creators. The SEA-HUB initiative integrates SMEDAN’s National Schools Entrepreneurship Programme (NSEP) with GIZ’s model to equip students with the skills needed to start businesses using minimal capital and available resources within their school environments.
Achonu emphasized that students are taught to think critically, identify opportunities, and add value wherever they find themselves. The program seeks to prepare students to run businesses and potentially employ others by the time they leave school. It will be further extended to select teachers and students, who will serve as SEA-HUB ambassadors upon returning to their schools. These ambassadors are expected to form entrepreneurship clubs and sustain learning through peer engagement and competitions.
Mr. Daniel Loguma, Deputy Director of School Clubs and Societies at the Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, expressed the ministry’s full support for the initiative. Represented by Mr. Yakubu Badamasi, Desk Officer for the School Farm Programme, Loguma stated that the initiative is crucial in cultivating a generation of self-reliant youths. The program is designed to impart knowledge on entrepreneurship fundamentals, including innovation, risk-taking, and business management, to enable students to become future employers.
A total of 40 participants, comprising 24 students and 16 teachers from eight secondary schools in Tafa Local Government Area, participated in the training. Students like Solomon David from Government Day Secondary School (GDSS) in Ija Gwari and Miss Agatha Monday from GDSS in Gauraka shared their enthusiasm and appreciation for the knowledge gained through the SEA-HUB initiative. They highlighted the program’s role in empowering them to be self-employed and explore business opportunities within their communities.
With students eager to apply what they have learned, both SMEDAN and GIZ are committed to expanding the SEA-HUB initiative across more states, building a stronger line of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.