In order to ensure that youths taking part in the ongoing ‘One Youth, Two Skills’ training programme in Anambra State are given solid funding opportunities after the exercise, the state government, through the Anambra State Small Business Agency, ASBA, is currently seeking partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to achieve the objective.

 

This was made known during a meeting between the BOI representatives and ASBA management, in Awka.

Addressing the BOI team, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASBA, Sir Clement Chukwuka, said that Governor Chukwuma Soludo is desirous of empowering the youths after the training, explaining that the state government has already mapped out two billion naira to that effect, while it is expected that the BOI will assist with additional two-billion-naira counterpart funding for the project.

 

Sir Clement said that what Anambra State is looking forward to is a wholesale lending whereby the Bank of Industry will move its counterpart funding into ASBA, while the state agency will integrate the fund and manage it in line with Governor Soludo’s youth development master plan.

He noted that they are now waiting for a larger meeting where they will connect the Bank of Industry’s management with Anambra State delegation that is into the ongoing negotiations.

 

Speaking to the ABS after the meeting, the Southeast Regional Manager of the Bank of Industry, Mr. Gabriel Jonathan, said that the bank is Nigeria’s oldest, largest and most successful development financing institution, which exists to facilitate the transformation of Nigeria’s industrial sector by providing financial and advisory support for the establishment of large, medium and small projects and expansion, diversification, rehabilitation and modernization of existing enterprises.

Among the BOI delegates were the Anambra State Manager, Andrew Oghomi and the Relationship Officer, Anambra State, Mr. Chuka Ukeni.