Project Coordinator, Growth and Employment Project, Mr Sani Labaran, has said the venture was aimed at creating about 100,000 jobs upon completion. Labaran made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the GEM Equity Window Launch on Tuesday in Lagos. According to him, the project is open to every Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneur without discrimination. “Everybody has equal opportunity,” Labaran said. He explained that the ultimate aim of the project was to ensure the growth of the economy beyond oil. The coordinator said that interested investors should register on the Business, Innovation and Growth platform to qualify for the equity financing through the GEM project. He added that SMEs must first be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission to be eligible. Labaran said, “It became effective in July 2013. It is a five-year programme. “But what we are saying is that whoever we support in the next few years should become effective in whatever business he is doing. “Whoever we support must be able to stand on his or her own. The GEM project has a life span that will expire by September 2018. “If the objective of the project is achieved, we can ask the government to create more projects that will be financed by the World Bank.” He advised SMEs to leverage on the opportunities created by the performance and equity grant segments of the project.  http://punchng.com/2015/11/3862