BENIN CITY-A non-governmental organisation known as Visioned Skills Development Centre (VSDC) last weekend trained large numbers of unemployed Edo State indegenes and others in entrepreneurial skills in order to prudently utilise the incoming foreign grants.

The one-day training/seminar held at La gala event centre, Siluko road in Benin City afforded participants the opportunity to develop and reposition their project ideas ranging from fishery, piggery, poultry, plantain to cassava farming.

The scheme, tagged ‘Bottom-up project’ aimed at reducing the unemployment in Nigeria incorporated multi-purpose cooperative society which will monitor the financial development of its members.

Speaking at the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer, VSDC, Apostle Israel Emeka Kama said over 27, 000 Nigerians are expected to benefit from the grants.

Apostle Isreal explained that the special grants from different international donors would be assessed through the Social Exchange Market (SEM) under the supervision of VSDC for the implementation of the ‘bottom-up’ strategy of the World Bank project.

Kama said beneficiaries of the scheme could get grants as high as N10m to start small businesses.

He further stated that the disbursement would be done through different registered micro-finance banks which would eventually be raised across the state.

“You can see we are registering people. According to Nigeria constitution, if a cooperative has up to 1000 members they can become a micro finance bank.

“The group is going to form a bank and they will monitor the people under them.

”It is a financial assistance scheme in which applicants receive grants to establish or boost existing business venture. The term “Social Exchange Market” is both a programme and an organization. As an organization, it’s a charity NGO offering financial empowerment to grassroots in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and unemployment.

“As a programme, it refers to a system where donors give free money to people to do business and then empower others by creating employment opportunities”. Apostle Isreal noted.

While explaining that the age range is between 16 and 65 years he maintained that education was not and will never be a barrier to the project as necessary assistance would be provided for any of their members who need such especially in project execution guide steps.

“The programme is organized to inform the Edo people that opportunity is on ground. The programme is real, it is just an opportunity that comes to Africa.

“I learnt some persons have benefited in Abuja, the first batch closes this month August while second batch registration begins thereafter”. He stated.

Among officers of the VSDC present at the one-day training were MariaPaul Attashie, logistics manager Southsouth and Pst Abiodun Edun, National Secretary.

Some participants who lauded the initiatives expressed optimism that the project would transform their lives.