One of Nigeria’s leading faith-based organisations, Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation (ZSF) has trained and rewarded 40 artisans and traders. They were selected out of the 160 applicants that applied for the maiden edition of the Traders/Artisans Entrepreneurship Development Project.
The marketable skills, ZSF said, was a creative scheme designed to promote entrepreneurial traits of the traders and artisans in tackling poverty, unemployment and hopelessness confronting Nigerians.
ZSF Executive Director Prince Sulayman Olagunju said the foundation rewarded the 40 traders and artisans with N250,000 and N150,000 each respectively.
Prince Olagunju said: “Just as we have Business Plan Competition for the graduates, this is purely for those who are not that educated but are into vocational skills as well as trading.
“During the training, we realised why so many of them don’t even have any marketability skills or know how to do follow up on their customers which goes a long way in winning and retaining customers.
“The training will enhance their marketability skills and productivity; it will go a long way in helping them to handle their income. They will be able to separate profit from investment, improve customers’ relationship, learn how to sell on credit and retrieve money from creditors.”
He said ZSF came up with the initiative due to the fact that some indigent were unable to communicate in English language, depriving them the opportunity to participate in the Business Plan Competition (BPC).
“Some people were not privileged to participate in the normal Business Plan Competition due to language barrier. Most of these people are traders and artisans and they can only communicate with their local dialect.
“So the consultant came down to their level by interviewing and training them using their local languages and at the end of the exercise, we were glad to say that they have done very well,” he said.
He advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the money given to them and share the knowledge with their colleagues.
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