SMEDAN reiterates commitment to youth empowerment

Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Alhaji Bature Umar Masari, has said that the federal government was working round the clock to give youth empowerment a pride of place in the scheme of things.
Masari maintained at a media briefing on the 11th Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship, SAGE World Cup holding in Abuja that the present administration was to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship development in line with its transformation agenda.
“Right now there is a new thinking in government to ensure that entrepreneurship development is given the needed support.
“That is why SMEDAN, which is the agency saddled with the responsibility of leading the fight for the development of SMEs in the country, is properly being repositioned, funded and empowered. “This is to ensure that we continue to provide leadership and direction for SMEs and entrepreneurship development all over the country’’, he stressed.
Masari noted that that the hosting of this year’s SAGE competition in nigeria was another indication that the government “is ready to develop our youths and nation economically, socially and politically’’.
The SMEDAN boss assured the contingent from Nigeria to the competition of government’s support as well as security and welfare for the organisers and participants from other parts of the world.
The Global President of SAGE, Prof. Curtis DeBerg said Nigeria was leading in the integration of entrepreneurship into the school curriculum.
Deberg said that entrepreneurship was currently not well thought in any country in the world but Nigeria had taken the lead in integrating it into its school system.
SAGE is a global, non-profit organisation aimed at advancing youth entrepreneurship and community service around the world, emphasising ethical business practices, social responsibility, civic engagement and environmental awareness.
The SAGE global competition is an international entrepreneurship competition where teenage entrepreneurs from around the world showcase their innovative business and community service projects to a panel of judges.