Cherish Enterprise Institute Limited (CEIL), a local driver for entrepreneurial education has signed a pact with a United Kingdom firm, Adamstart Foundation to boost the study of entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
The partnership pact which was signed last weekend in Abuja would be focused on improving the skills of youths in doing business in unserved and underserved areas across Katsina, Kano and other parts of northern Nigeria.
Founder of CEIL and former Minister of Water Resources and Agriculture, Sayyadi Abba Ruma, shortly after signing the memorandum of understanding with the UK firm, said the institute which is located in Batsari, Katsina State, will create programmes that will build in the youths the culture of entrepreneurship.
The former minister and Vice Chairman of the Institute said the partnership was tagged, ‘First Mover Advantage’. He said with the security situation in the country, one of the ways to address youth unrest is to provide avenues for their meaningful engagement.
“There is no way this security issue can be addressed if you don’t commence a process of constructive engagement of youths. Engage those that have gone to school and those that have not been to school in a number of areas which is wealth creation, to drive small and medium enterprises. They will be proud of this and it will help us to minimize insecurity and bring a bastion of hope to the common man,” Ruma said.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Adamstart, Mr. Adams Bradford said a key basis for the synergy was to provide an innovative centre of excellence for entrepreneurship education for the teeming youths in Kano and Katsina who have not been served.
Bradford said there will also be the launch of the ‘Agri for All Programme’ to create opportunities in the agriculture sector by providing infrastructure and financing. He said this scheme will help to alleviate poverty and stimulate the Nigerian economy.
He said: “We are making sure that when young people finish the programme they have access to mentorship, training, and resources.”