Dickson Approves N500M Loan For Young Bayelsa Entrepreneur Network

…To Be Allocated Free Shops At New Business Incubation Centre


By Pat PA Okon


The Bayelsa State Governor, Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday approved the sum of N500m, as a take-off grant for the Young Bayelsa entrepreneur Network.
Governor Dickson announced the approval, during the formal inauguration of the forum at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Yenagoa.
He urged the youths to shun negative acts and channel their energies to more productive ventures for their overall good and that of the society at large.
The Governor, in a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Ottah Agbo, explained that, the approved grant is a revolving loan, aimed at empowering the young entrepreneurs, stressing that, this is in addition to ongoing plans by the government to employ over 1,000 graduates into the state civil service.
He described the Ijaw people as hardworking, but lamented the attitude of some of the present generation of youths who have developed the negative mindset cutting corners to make free money.
Governor Dickson used the occasion to announce the creation of a business incubation centre, with a shopping mall by the fly-over in the State capital, disclosing that, a number of the shops are expected to be ready and allocated soon.
According to him, the young entrepreneurs will be among the first set of beneficiaries, who will be given the shops free for a period of two years, after which they would be made to pay a token amount to use it for their businesses.
His words, “I am happy that we have a crop of young men and women, who want to change the narrative. The Ijaw people are hardworking and prudent people, but some young men of this generation want free money and that mindset has destroyed a lot of young people.
We want to be creator of wealth, we want to employ others but it is sad that most people are not seeing this opportunity that we are opening up, but in your faces I am seeing the future Dangote and all the big names in business, and the restoration government is ready to give that support for you to achieve that goal.
“Any Bayelsan that has an idea can get a grant to start up their small scale business, even the civil servant that wants to retire voluntarily, government is ready to support your business. We want to move to a state of wealth and we have set up for this purpose the School for Entrepreneur training. We have also set up a Micro bank in the state for our people to access.
“We have created a business incubation centre, the shopping mall by the fly over, a number of it will be ready and the first people it will be given to will be the young entrepreneur members, it will be given to you for free for a period of two years, thereafter, you start paying a token”.
In his remarks on behalf of the Young Entrepreneur Network, Mr. Biboye Emein, appreciated the Governor for his gesture towards the youths, stating that, they are ready to bring their wealth of experience outside the country to make Bayelsa a better place. Highpoint of the interaction was the presentation of Made-In-Bayelsa shoes and other articles to the Governor. They were produced by some members of the Young Bayelsa Entrepreneur Network.