By Amaka Agwuegbo
The Project Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, Mr. Chukwuma Nduche, has urged Nigerians to channel their entrepreneurial skill in positive ventures that would grow the nation’s economy.

Speaking to Vanguard, Nduche noted that though Nigerians are very enterprising, but the persistent economic down-turn has force majority of them to focus their skills in negative ventures.

“The Centre for Entrepreneurial Development is about promoting enterprise and entrepreneurial skills in Nigeria because Nigerians are very enterprising, especially when outside the country.

“Due to the down-turn of the economy and some policies that don’t encourage entrepreneurialship, we apply our entrepreneurial skills and dexterity in negative ways which is further killing the economy.

“So, until certain things are put in place, the economic vicious cycle will continue to affect our mentality and everything we do.”

Nduche pointed out that the aim of setting up the Centre is to empower people by fostering, nurturing and promoting innovative ideas.

“This is because we live in a country that is heavily certificated. This means that we value paper qualification to the skills and ability of the person.

“Also, because most people are either in the oil and gas or banking sectors, they tend to think that certain areas of endeavours are demeaning.

“Since we are concerned about people that have ideas and want to be trained in certain areas or be funded, the core objective of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development is to empower people in their entrepreneurial ventures and help them move to the next level.

“Some of the core areas of competence of the Centre include entrepreneurial development, vocational training, job center whereby people can enroll in, talent discovery and finishing school for young people who are interested in skills acquisition but are still in school.”

The Project Director for the Centre for Entrepreneurial Development said that since the Centre began operations, 12 people have been trained and some of them have become gainfully employed and empowered
“Of the 12 people we have trained, some of them have either become employed or employers of labour.

“Our major aim is to create jobs through leveraging on those things that people think are demeaning because we want people to believe in dignity of labour by engaging in certain areas of operation.”