In an effort to provide critical foundational component for building successful startups, the Centre for Community Development and Research Network has provided a 2 days entrepreneurial training and mentorship support to 46 beneficiaries of the United Nations Development Programme in Kaduna, under the Start-up Cash Grant for Integrated Community Stabilization Project in Borno state, Northeast Nigeria
The mentorship was held between Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th January, 2020 at the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Learning Centre (PANLC) in Kaduna to provided the beneficiaries who had been engaged in the one year training in Mechanical Mechatronic and Body work with the basic understanding on Entrepreneurship, Financial management, Record keeping and Business plan development to enable them to successfully launch their chosen businesses and trade.
The 46 trainees who were selected from communities affected by the violent conflict in the Northeast and had their means of livelihood devastated by the insurgency leaving them with no support system, are part of a larger group of 220 who were enrolled in the vocational training scheme of the Integrated Community Recovery and Resilience in Borno State.
A section of traininees paying keen attention during the mentorship session
The training adopted a case virtual reality and culturally appropriate role play to support the beneficiaries brainstorm and come up with solution driven ideas on how to run successful businesses. It was also designed in such a way that it prepared trainees with real-world information, awareness and opportunity to relate what was taught and what the reality entailed for them in terms of managing the start-up cash grant to be provided them by UNDP.
The training came at the heels of cumulative improvement in the security situation in Borno state which has increased sensitivity towards providing means of livelihood for victims of insurgency, putting into cognizance the colossal loss of assets, land and capital, which has increasingly made regaining means of livelihood a major source of concern to all stakeholders.
Against this backdrop, CCDRN’s services was enlisted by UNDP to provide mentoring support and training for the beneficiaries who had undergone a one year training in their field of specification; Mechanical Mechatronic and Body work.
CCDRN facilitator taking beneficiaries through one of the mentorship session
Mohammed Khan – UNDP Emergency Livelihood Specialist at a separate event marking the graduation of the beneficiaries at the PAN learning center in Kaduna, congratulated the graduating students while acknowledging European Union for their generous support towards the rehabilitation of vulnerable displaced persons in Borno State and assured of UNDPs continuous support to the stabilization and early recovery of rural places.
He encouraged them to use their technical knowledge in building resilience within their community which would contribute to sustainable development of Nigeria.
“UNDP is a firm believer in the power of learning and a strong advocate for providing the best capacity building opportunities which explains their reason for partnership with PANLC.” Khan said.
He further thanked CCDRN for training provided which aided the development of beneficiary’s business plan and knowledge gained on financial management, record keeping and market assessment
