The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and a member representing Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency, Mr. Tope Olayonu, have invested not less than N50m towards unemployment reduction in his constituency in Kwara State.

Olayonu, who spoke for himself and SMEDAN during an empowerment programme in Offa, Kwara State on Saturday, said the N50m was invested in skill development, training and buying of equipment for 320 beneficiaries. He stated that the empowerment was in collaboration with SMEDAN and decried the high unemployment rate in the country.

According to him, over 60 per cent of youths are unemployed. He added that skill and entrepreneurship development was a veritable strategy to reduce unemployment and boost economic transformation. Olayonu called for collaborative efforts of other stakeholders to complement the Federal Government's employment creation, skill and entrepreneurial development drive.

He stated that seven motor vehicles, 27 tricycles, 60 motorcycles, 41 sewing machines, 10 generators, 10 grinding machines were some of the items distributed to the beneficiaries during the empowerment to boost their enterprises. He added that 100 people received start-up capital as cash bonuses while 105 graduands of skill acquisition would also receive equipment and start-off capital for their respective enterprises.

He said,"Over 60 per cent of youths are unemployed and there are lots of things that can be done. "With the effort of the Federal Government and the little one can do as constituency intervention, it is not everything that we can do but the one the FG can do we can complement. That is why we give them something to improve their lives.

"The empowerment is going to be a continuous exercise. It is in collaboration with SMEDAN." Olayonu said that it was sad and inhuman that some governors had not been paying workers in their states.