Don wants access to loans for young entrepreneurs

Prof. Olusegun Sogbesan, Director-General, Onitsha Business School, Onitsha, Anambra, on Friday requested for more access to loans to help the youth to finance their entrepreneurial skills.

Sogbesan made the call in a keynote address at a seminar for young entrepreneurs organised by the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) Youth Entrepreneurs (NYE), Anambra Chapter, in Onitsha.

The theme of the seminar, organised in partnership with Anambra Emerging Entrepreneurs Network, ASEEN, was: "Accessing Grants and Loans for Small and Medium Enterprises".

Sogbesan said, "there is a plethora of grants and loans options which is readily available, but waiting to be accessed.

"The different organisations and groups in Nigeria should start arming the youth with relevant information on skills and finance that will make them globally competitive," he said.

On his part, Mr Chinedu Aniagbaoso, Coordinator of NACCIMA Youth Entrepreneurs in Anambra, said the core objective of the association was to organise trainings for young people on how to run successful businesses.

Aniagboso described entrepreneurship as "identification of needs and knowledge of how to solve them.

"The major challenge to starting and sustaining a good business idea is good knowledge of sources of finances.

"I call on young entrepreneurs to be informed and be at the right place at the right time."

In his remark, Mr Chinemelum Nsobundu, the National Treasurer, NYE, said the organisation would create a platform where information and knowledge on how grants and loans for young entrepreneurs could be shared.

Other resource persons included Mr Emeka Omata, who discussed "Introduction to Bankable Business Plan Development" and Miss Chichi Eriobu, who discussed "How to Structure a Business to Attract Grants".

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 50 youths took part in the seminar held at Onitsha Business School complex.