No country can thrive without Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as they are the engine room of the country’s economy, this is because they support the usage of local raw materials, create jobs and require little or no formal education for their day-to-day operations.
Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre an agency under the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development (FMY&SD) have announced an initiative to train 30,000 youth on leadership skills for MSMEs, in line with the ever-evolving global trends.
This announcement was made by Oluremi Sola-Philips, the acting director-general, who when speaking to the press from his office on Thursday, July 1, 2021, stated that the agency is fulfilling its desire to train as many young Nigerians as possible, in robust leadership skills that will have a direct impact on business growth, youth inclusion in governance and personal development.
Making reference to a financial expert, Ugochukwu Chris-Aladun, it is said that 80 percent of MSMEs in Nigeria fail within the first five years of their existence due to lack of prerequisite skills and other wrong business practices.
Hence, the need to equip our youth with leadership skills to assist them in thriving in their businesses and the world at large.
Read also: How to build an effective feedback system in leadership
Young people have over the last decade amplified their clamour for inclusion in governance and social development.
CLTC under the administration of the current Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare is rolling out extensive plans to train young persons in a very important area that is constantly overlooked.
The training will speak to personal character development while addressing a number of individual mindsets that cause a decline in business growth. It will also prep the young persons for leadership positions in government and civil society.
This initiative can be considered as timely as the world came together a few weeks ago to celebrate the United Nations designated MSMEs day on the 20th June, 2021 and we have seen an increase in young people of Nigeria yearning for positions in government.
Sunday Dare, the minister of Youth and Sports Development, also reiterated his desire to ensure that the Citizenship and Leadership Academy is grooming our young person to take over.
He stated that “It is said that youth are the leaders of tomorrow, I’ve said it repeatedly since I became Minister, that the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, but in this political construct, the youth are now leaders starting today. And unless you start being leaders now, in your communities, professional groups and places of work, you cannot just one day wake up as a leader, you must learn the ropes.”
The training would take place virtually on 8th July 2021.
