The Kwara State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Raji Mohammed, has said the development of Nigerian youths for self employment will reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country.

He also said that self employment and the development of small and medium enterprises would reduce the involvement of youths in crimes. He added that it would also reduce the prevailing insecurity in the country as it would offer wealth creation opportunities for the youth.

He spoke on Tuesday in Ilorin during the presentation of cooperative certificates to graduates of Kwara Youth Entrepreneurship programme of the Kwara State University Entrepreneurship Centre which was sponsored by the Kwara State Government.

Mohammed stated that the state government had earmarked N100m for SMEs, empowerment programmes and youth employment strategies in 2013.

He added that N45m would be released for the 150 granduates of the programme across the state.

He urged the beneficiaries to maximise the investments and become truly self-reliant and employers of labour.

According to him, about 40m Nigerians are youths while majority of them are unemployed. He stated that the state government was committed to assisting the unemployed become self employed as well as creating enabling environment for businesses to grow. He added that the state government had provided a lot of jobs and wealth creation windows.

He also said that about 28,000 people benefited from the state government’s SMEs scheme in 2012.

Director, Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment, KWASU, Dr. Muritala Awodun said the self employment scheme granduates had developed a mindset of self employment through the training as against dependence on paid employment.

He commended the state government for the programme, adding that the programme, which was designed to be five semesters was compressed to six weeks.