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Promoting youth entrepreneurship in Lagos, Nigeria - SNHU ...

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Gambia and <strong>Nigeria</strong> <strong>in</strong> West Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe <strong>in</strong> Central Africa, Swaziland <strong>in</strong>Southern Africa, and Uganda and Kenya <strong>in</strong> Eastern Africa. The belief <strong>in</strong> these countries is that theunemployment problem can be solved by promot<strong>in</strong>g small bus<strong>in</strong>ess enterprises. 1A crucialquestion that arises <strong>in</strong> this respect, as previously noted, is whether these enterprises have thepotential to generate sufficient means to produce <strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>youth</strong> livelihoods, especially <strong>in</strong> adecl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g economy. ESDP has been def<strong>in</strong>ed by Rao (1991) as any comprehensively planned effortundertaken by an <strong>in</strong>dividual, a group of <strong>in</strong>dividuals, or any <strong>in</strong>stitution or agency to develop<strong>entrepreneurship</strong> competencies <strong>in</strong> people. Competencies are <strong>in</strong>tended to lead to self-employment,economic self-sufficiency, and employment generation through long-term education or short-termtra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g (Nafukho, 1998). The Gambia <strong>in</strong> West Africa provides an example of a country that hasestablished an ESDP to promote <strong>youth</strong> employment through <strong>entrepreneurship</strong>. The formalemployment sector <strong>in</strong> the Gambia, as <strong>in</strong> other SSA countries, is unable to absorb the <strong>youth</strong> fromschool (Nafukho, 1998). The Gambian Technical Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g Institute was established to preparecandidates for mid-level employment, ma<strong>in</strong>ly technicians (N‘jie, 1991). To encourageentrepreneurs, <strong>in</strong> 1976 the Gambian Government established the Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Advisory Service toprovide expert advice to potential entrepreneurs with technical skills. In addition, the RuralVocational Programme targets school drop-outs, illiterate artisans, and the rural poor. Operated atthe village level, the tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g is supported by extension services for agriculture, animal husbandry,health, hygiene, and functional literacy.1 Entrepreneurial skills development programs for unemployed <strong>youth</strong> <strong>in</strong> Africa: a second look byFredrick Muyia Nafukho18

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