The World Bank has approved a total of 299 Business Investment Plans for 800 beneficiaries of the Agro- Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support, (APPEALS), project in Kaduna State.
The beneficiaries, comprising groups and individuals are drawn from across the Local Government Areas of the State.
An official of the project and Specialist, Women and Youth Livelihood, Ibrahim Yakubu disclosed this Monday in Kaduna, on the side line of a 2-day Empowerment Technical Meeting of the beneficiaries
He said the participants have been groomed theorically and practically to succeed as entrepreneurs in their respective businesses.
On his part, the Chairman, Economic and Statistics Committee of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Mohammed Gazali Abdulsalam said the participants were being encouraged to form themselves into cooperative groups instead of being alone noting that coming together would share challenges that could arise.
While stressing the need for the participants to tow along the training being given, Abdulsalam also urged them to look into the market to see the needs arising from the 11 value chain of the project.
He said it was gratifying to note the involvement of NAIC in the programme to mitigate, could there be risks in the businesses.
The resource person who described the project as fantastic and laudable, expressed the hope that the Kaduna State government would go further to widen the scope to add value to the economy of the State.
In his presentation on group formation, dynamics and management, another Resource Person, Zayyad Adam Abdullahi painted a vivid picture on how Dictatorial, Passive and Democratic leaders behave in the running of affairs.
Democratic Leaders, he emphasised, are devoted, polite, intelligent and considerate among other qualities with positive results.
Participants at the technical support meeting are brainstorming on Registration of Business Enterprises, Business Investment Plan Development, Group Formation and Management, Quality Control and Standardisation as well as Business/Market Linkages, Trade and Export.