As part of its plan to build competitive businesses, as well as tackling youths unemployment in developing countries, a non-governmental organisation, TechnoServe Nigeria has trained 300 unemployed youths in Abuja and Enugu State. The training under the Pan-African Youth Entrepreneur Empowerment Programme (PAYED), and funded by Citi Foundation was aimed at addressing youth unemployment in the country. Speaking with THISDAY during the graduating ceremony of the participants yesterday in Abuja, the acting Country Director of TechnoServe, Ms. Ayokanmi Ayuba, said that the mission of the organisation was to work with enterprising people – men, women and youths to build competitive businesses, farms and industries.

She stressed that TechnoServe had been impacting on millions of lives globally, while also improving livelihoods and creating economic opportunities for the beneficiaries for the past 50 years. Ayuba stated: “We are focused first, on the micro retail, so we have gone to youths who have existing businesses in the micro retail space, in fast moving consumer goods like shoe making, beauty shops; and what we have tried to do is introduced them to skills and tools that will help them improve their business.”(THISDAY)