*Participants in skills acquisition programme get N100million seed loans through Bank of Industry as SMEDAN handles the training, says Governor Adegboyega Oyetola

*Beneficiaries of training programme to be recognised with Omoluabi identification numbers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Determined to mitigate the adverse effects of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the citizens of the state, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State has launched skill acquisition training for 15,000 indigenes in order to stimulate economic activities again.

Governor Oyetola, on the occasion held at the Industrial Development Centre Thursday, August 6 in Osogbo, the state capital, said the need to alleviate the negative impacts of the virus necessitated launch of the initiative.

It was learnt that the government decided to generate several thousands of direct and indirect jobs annually through the programme.

According to the governor, beneficiaries of the training programme would get N100 million seed loans, through Bank of Industry (BoI), and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) would handle the training, reports The Nation.

Oyetola said: “The lockdown … caused a sudden fiscal crisis …and has presented serious economic and structural changes that we shall all battle for years to come.

“To alleviate this negative development, our administration has decided on an economic strategy to generate 15,000 jobs annually, directly and indirectly, through the intervention programme… The programme will start with 2,000 beneficiaries…”

Bode Olaonipekun, Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperative and Empowerment said the training was for indigenes.

Olaonipekun disclosed that the beneficiaries of the training programme would be identified with their Omoluabi Identification Number.

According to the Commissioner, 2000 persons would be allowed to register for the pilot programme, as two training centres would have be located in each senatorial district of the state.