600 Bayelsa young entrepreneurs get N150,000 each, POS terminals business support

About 600 young entrepreneurs in Bayelsa State, women and youths, have received N150,000 each as business support and free POS terminals to boost their enterprises.

The beneficiaries, who successfully completed their training and registration with the Federal University Otuoke under the Douye Diri Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme, received the disbursement during activities to mark the 2026 World Entrepreneurship Day at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, , Yenagoa.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Douye Diri, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, said his administration would continue to create the enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state. 

He noted that skills acquisition and capacity building for youths remains the solution to capital flight, adding that government’s key role at the policy level is to sustain a conducive business ecosystem for indigenous enterprises.

The governor urged school curriculum planners to consciously incorporate practical skills acquisition modules and make entrepreneurship development a compulsory subject in the school system.

Commending his Technical Adviser on Entrepreneurship Development, Mrs Charity Kens-Godwin, for her vision and leadership, Diri reminded the beneficiaries that consistency is required to grow young businesses into successful enterprises.

“The Bayelsa State government appreciates your zeal, consistency, persistency, resilience and vision in doing this. 

“The government of Douye Diri will always stand by you; we are happy with what you are doing,” he said.

He also called on Bayelsans to patronise locally produced goods to keep local businesses alive, and advised youths to acquire vocational skills even as they pursue formal education.

Earlier, Mrs Charity Kens-Godwin said the event was to honour 600 outstanding Douye Diri skills entrepreneurs, adding that over 5,000 Bayelsans have so far been trained and equipped with various skills under the programme.

She disclosed that her office had facilitated the registration of about 2,000 businesses with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and that over 32,000 applications have already been received from across the eight local government areas ahead of phase four of the programme.