By Aisha Gambo

The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Tuesday commenced the training of 50 graduates on business ideas, under its ‘Start Your Own Business’ (SYOB) programme in Kaduna.

Alhaji Sani Maiwada, NDE State Cooordinator, said that the programme was being organised by the Small-Scale Enterprises Department of the directorate, adding that graduates would be armed with knowledge on different business ideas they could venture into.

He said: “The SYOB programme is an entrepreneurship development training for graduate of higher institutions that obtained their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificates.

“The essence of the training is for them to be independent, by having a business idea and knowing how to write a feasibility study that can be used in getting loan from government or any other financial body, “he said.

Maiwada stated that the training would last for five days and that all the 50 participants were expected to be serious and attend their classes to achieve the aim of the training.

He noted that the NDE would assist serious participants with loans, with the condition of writing a feasibility study that would be assessed by the state office and sent to the directorate’s headquarters for approval.

He advised the participants to use the opportunity to acquire knowledge so that they could start their businesses and become employers of labour.

Meanwhile, some participants expressed gratitude to the directorate for the programme, promising to use the knowledge acquired during the training in their various businesses.

Khadija Adetutu said she was happy to be part of the 50 participants adding that she would choose a business she understands more to venture into.

Another participant, John Vincent, said his expectations could not be quantified, as he was ready to gain knowledge. (NAN)

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Edited and published by Sani Idris

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House of Reps receives proposal to create Lagoon State from Lagos

Samson Toromade

June 3, 2021 9:04 AM

Seven current local government areas in Lagos are proposed as the new Lagoon State.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives [NASS]

A proposal to carve out a new autonomous state out of the current Lagos State has been submitted to the House of Representatives' Special Committee on Constitution Review.

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A representative of Lagoon State Movement asked the committee at the South West Zonal Public Hearing in Lagos on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 to expedite the creation of Lagoon State.

He said Lagos has been denied the 'privilege' of being broken up like other Nigerian states to arrive at the current number of 36.

He noted that the proposed Lagoon State has the ability and resources to be self-sustainable, better than some states that currently exist.

"It is our prayer that the National Assembly will take a special note of our agitation and grant approval," he said.

Lagos is the smallest state in Nigeria, occupying a total land area of 3,345 square kilometers, but is considered the most populated with an estimated 20 million residents.

The Lagoon State Movement has been campaigning for over 10 years for a new autonomous state to cater to the rural communities especially those along the costal line.

Ikorodu, Epe, Kosofe, Somolu, Apapa, Eti-Osa, and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Areas of Lagos have in the past been listed as proposed communities that will break from Lagos and create Lagoon.

Creation of new states was a very common request made at all four days of zonal public hearings on constitutional amendment that took place all over the country last week and this week.

At the Lagos venue that fielded proposals from the public in Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo, many submitted requests for creation of new states, including a separate Ibadan State breaking away from the current Oyo State.

The creation of new states is one of the items on the Exclusive Legislative List, which makes it the responsibility of the Federal Government.

Many other groups complained at the hearings that the item be taken off the list because the Federal Government should not be in the position to address such matters.