Dr Olusegun Omisore, Executive Secretary, Millennium Village Vocational Centre, Lekki has harped on the need for government to have an economic framework for Vocational entrepreneurs
Omisore noted that vocational entrepreneurs have long been in the threshold of our nation’s existence, breaking barriers and building small businesses and other businesses beyond their scope especially those with a doggedness to see afar from the ordinary.
In a statement made available to journalists ,Omisore maintained that “ Today, the crop of young men and women who have earned big names in their own right in the field of Fashion Designing (aka Tailor), Garment construction (Cloth seller), Makeup & Beauty Therapy (Makeup Artiste), Brick Construction (Block moulder), Shoe Designer (Shoe maker), Bakery & Pastries (Snacks Kiosk), Food and Catering Services (Caterer), Event Planner (Hall or event Decorator), Phone Technician (Phone repairer), Computer Engineer (Computer repairer or technician) etc. are either not vocational students or are investors with other knowledge in this areas.
He added that “These small scale entrepreneurs in other climes like Dubai UAE, have a special place in the schemes of economic calculations in three fold attachments to each staff in their employ. A crash to a vocational entrepreneur’s business with a staff of three (3) people, leaves a crash in nine (9) lives on the street in economic dilemma.”
According to him, With the growing trends in digitalisation and data capture today, government at the local level should have data in two folds going forward; a partnership with vocational centres in their locality with a desire to have a graduating list of students with potentials. Secondly, ensure that business and entrepreneurial skills are taught with particular focus in money and inter-people management courses.
He maintained that Government should also setup a financial economic framework for these target audience, as critical player in the technical, creative dynamics of service delivery in various forms with a daily effect on the financial spending of Nigerians. One critical trend that these entrepreneurs endear is the Friday to Sunday gross financial revenue that is generated and recycled back to government in the first 2 days of the new week. So a strategic frame work should be harmonised to ensure the productivity and creativity of these dynamic Nigerians.
”I think with the daily numbers of unemployment in our youths, a local government framework with the House of Assembly accent for a Micro Vocational Entrepreneurship package or a review of the SME act to cater for this target is doable. This package would be linked from the fund to Micro-finance organisations but interfaced with government at the local levels in two phases. These phases will have a centre-government partnership for suitable candidates who would be eligible for this facility. The other phase is centred on the CDA to the CDC in each local government where suitable candidates can access this facility with the CDA/CDC’s playing a robust role on behalf of government.
