Entrepreneur seeks govt collaboration to grow SMEs

Entrepreneur seeks govt collaboration to grow SMEs

Mr Ademola Adebayo, an entrepreneur, has called for collaboration of all tiers of government to merge entrepreneurship and vocational skills for the growth of Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Adebayo,  who is also an educationist, made the call on Monday in Lagos during the launch of his book titled: “How to Set Up a Thriving Vocational Academy For Nation Building and For Wealth Creation”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the author is also the Managing Director of the  Lagos-based, Blessedhands Vocational Academy.

He is also an alumni of the Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre.

He said that vocational training was important for wealth creation, adding that entrepreneurship skills also speedily grow the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to him, raising more entrepreneurs will act as a catalyst in the implementation of government policies, hence,  the need for all tiers of government to develop vocational skills to grow SMEs.

He called for the establishment of vocational and entrepreneurship centers in all the 774 local government councils in Nigeria and advised states and the Federal Government to replicate the feat to boost the national GDP.

According to him, vocational training is usually practical-oriented with less than 20 percent theory.

Adebayo commended efforts of the governments of Lagos and Edo states for using vocational education for skills development, and empowering of citizens to boost their Internally Generated Revenue.

He urged other states of the federation to emulate the  two states.

He said that the advice became imperative because of the difference between being a technical expert and a business person.

“This book is to attract more people into the business of vocational education.

“It will allow more people to ride on my experience and training to enable them do vocational education in the right way that will be beneficial to the society,” he said.

The book reviewer, Mr Tosin Ogunmola, a Member of Council, Nigerian Society of Engineers, said that the 193-page book discussed the usual challenges in setting up a vocational academy.

“This book addresses the importance of vocational study, which feeds into the critical micro, small and medium-scale enterprises’ segment of the economy.

“The significance of this segment as the mainstay of the economy cannot be overemphasized in its provision of jobs,” he said.