The Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, Abisola Olusanya, says the Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI), on Tuesday commenced a two-day all-inclusive training for 20 youths and women in various value chain.
Olusanya made this known at the opening ceremony of the training at Oko Oba in Lagos, saying that it was to link the participants up to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s agribusiness credit facilities.
Olusanya, represented by Mrs Aramide Gansallo, Director, Agribusinesss in the ministry, said that the two-day training was first in the series for participants.
She said the training would also enable participants to have access to a single digit loan from the CBN’s Agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS).
She said that if eventually accessed, participants should judiciously utilise the funds on the intended purposes, either on an existing agribusiness or a new start-up.
The commissioner also called on the trainees to focus more on marketing of their products, which would in turn ensure profitability and subsequent sustainability of their agribusiness.
“One of the major outcomes of this training will be to ensure that trainees of the Ministry of Agriculture Entrepreneurship Development Institute boost their businesses by helping them facilitate loan through the AGSMEIS.
“The aim of EDI is to provide a platform for youths and women as well as other SMEs, especially those in agriculture value chain, to have access to credit facilities,” she said.
In his remarks, Mr Dapo Olakulehin, General Manager, Lagos State Coconut Development Authority (LASCODA), commended the Agribusiness Department for successfully organising the training for intending beneficiaries in spite of challenges.
Olakulehin urged participants to embrace the opportunity with all seriousness to learn and get the best out of the training.
The general manager said that 60 per cent of the participants had been trained by LASCODA and practicing the Coconut-Shell based Arts and Crafts.
He said LASCODA fully funded the Coconut-Shell based Arts and Crafts, adding that the practitioners were the first trainees of the agribusiness department. (NAN)