AEA targets 190,000 jobs for FCT residents

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) has disclosed plans for creation of 190,000 jobs for the residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as part of measures to mitigate poverty in the Territory.
Making this disclosure yesterday, in Abuja, AEA Managing Director, Muhammad Arabi Tukur, said the agency just concluded it’s strategic implementation plan for 2020-2023, where various projects and activities were identified.
Tukur, in his address delivered during the presentation of start-up kits to 97 beneficiaries of skills acquisition scheme, noted that strategies for achieving these plans are being formulated.
His words: “Our target is to put in place 190,000 jobs for the residents of the FCT. This is with a view to key into the vision of Mr. President in providing 100 Million jobs jobs to Nigerians.
“We can achieve these lofty targets with the continued support of the FCT Administration.”
According to him, between 2015 and now, AEA has supported over 73,450 individuals and businesses (90% youth) of which with critical business support such as business clinics, access to finance, counselling, sensitisation, workspace and market linkage.
He added that this year, a total of 366 trainees who received grant worth ten million Naira from the AEA, to support their ventures.
“ The Agency has also supported 31,100 rural entrepreneurs in 160 communities with capacity building trainings, acces to finance, provision of equipment and other critical areas.
“The Agency has designed to expand its grant programme to support the provision of work tools, which will eliminate drudgery, share new technology to rural entrepreneurs and finance start-ups, who are confronted with inadequate acces to finance,” he stressed.
Earlier, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, while performing the distribution of the starter packs to the 97 trainees of the 245 trained in various skills by AEA between July and November, 2019, said is a testament of the Administration’s commiment to creating an enabling environment for business to grow in the FCT and economic empowerment for residents.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Bashir Mai-Bornu, the Minister urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the opportunity given to them, as the Next Level phase of development has started in earnest.
He commended AEA for painstakingly working forwards FCTA’s objective of economic empowerment to residents, and urged investors to partner with the Agency especially in establishing business incubation centres in the FCT.