By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The Group Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha-CFA, has announced plans to establish a Business Fund in partnership with the state government to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on youth entrepreneurship.
Dr. Asemakaha made the revelation at the weekend during the grand finale of a state-wide skills acquisition programme held at Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi, where over 5,580 youths graduated from various vocational training sessions organised by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The graduates from all 23 local government areas had displayed their skills in painting, cosmetology, Ankara design, organic fertilizer production, makeup artistry, shoemaking, catering, and other trades during the event’s exhibition.
Dr Asemakaha described the graduating youths as a “significant emerging market,” stressing that empowering them to transform their skills into viable businesses would stimulate economic growth.
He announced a N1 million seed grant to each of the seven graduating groups, totaling N7 million, to kick-start their entrepreneurial ventures.
He urged the state government to enact business-friendly policies that would grant young entrepreneurs access to wider markets and strengthen SME development across Benue.
Dr. Asemakaha emphasised that Benue must prioritise human capital investment by shifting from purely theoretical education to practical business training, particularly as the state’s population grows.
He noted that this approach is essential for boosting the state’s GDP and positioning Benue as a hub for innovative small enterprises, adding that as the newly trained youths establish their businesses, they will create employment opportunities, reduce idleness, and help address insecurity.
Dr. Asemakaha commended Governor Alia for championing youth empowerment initiatives and called for continued investment in vocational and entrepreneurial programmes to drive Benue’s economic transformation.
