The story towards the growth of the entrepreneurship is still a long way off we must say. At a time of dwindling oil prices, increasing poverty rate, lack of or absolutely no diversification from oil dependent economy, there have been incessant downsizing at many oil companies even affecting the top giants like shell and chevron shutting down operations which has inevitably affected lots of workers. The rest of the world seem to be moving towards a non-oil dependent economy, as seen from the government and private sector collaboration in most of these countries. Many schools of thought in Nigeria have also argued that Nigeria needs a diversion away from total dependence from oil, but a move towards the proposed goal has been extremely slow if it exists at all. Many of these proposals have been base on movement towards agriculture-based economy. A proposal towards moving to the agriculture-based economy, unfortunately will not solve the problem, not entirely at least.

Promoting entrepreneurship programs towards enhancing self-sustainability is the way forward for the Nigerian economy and by extension, the unemployed youths of the country. Entrepreneurship as we know it encompasses designing, launching and running a business. It requires the willingness to develop, organize and manage a new business venture along with associated risks for the purpose of generating profit. Most of these traits seems to lacking in most youth of the country.

Just as every single endeavor faces its own problem, entrepreneurship development has its own problems too. A report published by Mustapha A.I., Yunusa Umaru, and Dr Pelemo I.F. ‘’CHALLENGES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS PERCEIVED BY UNDERGRADUATE OF TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN KADUNA STATE’’ of the department of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria highlighted some of the problems confronting entrepreneurship in Nigeria ranging from lack of capital, poor government support, lack of skills, inadequate facilities and equipment for teaching and learning entrepreneurship, poor knowledge based economy among others. Even where little capital is available to start business, many of them do not survive the test of time due in large part to poor government support and requisite training to run the startups. Although the research was conducted in Kaduna sate, it is however a reflection of the situation in most parts of the country.

That was why we at BENEFiT were elated when the Kaduna state government, through Kaduna Startup and Entrepreneurship Program (KADSTEP) some days back announced a 12 week curriculum designed to prepare the entrepreneurial minded for the arduous tasks lying ahead. The training is a 10 week rigorous curriculum that will cover areas such as Book Keeping and Accounting, Entrepreneurship and Economic Policy, Business Plan Development, Human Resource Management, Design Thinking and Disruption among others. An exam follows immediately after the training and successful applicants will be eligible for a soft loan to finance their startups. Applicants are expected to reside in Kaduna state to qualify for the scheme but of course it is not limited to Kaduna indigenes alone and the venture must be within real sectors e.g. production, allied services, manufacturing etc.

Why are we optimistic about the scheme? The Kaduna Startup and Entrepreneurship Program is an initiative introduced by the administration of Mallam Nasir El Rufai in order to facilitate job creation opportunity for the young and unemployed in the state. The 12 week long program is a partnership with the Bank of Industry and the Kaduna Business School. The Governor of Kaduna state has been a defiant figure in the fight against corruption during his time at the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory during President Olusegun Obasanjo regime. Governor El Rufai has been credited with bringing sanity to the FCT. We hope the Governor’s magic wand will help revolutionize entrepreneurship in the state and create a pathway for many state governments in the country.

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