SMEFUNDS engages 25 women to promote green energy development

Twenty five women have been engaged to learn, take action and promote green opportunities and jobs with 100 per cent focus on the green economy in the nation.

SMEFUNDS that has made huge investments in clean energy development disclosed in a statement that the fellows will undergo classes, capacity development trainings, mentoring and in-depth coaching on entrepreneurship and green social enterprises through the period of six months, which include monthly one on one sessions at the Enterprise Development Centre, Lagos Business School.

It said that the fellows will also visit several sites, organizations, initiatives and projects in the country focusing on the green economy.

SMEFUNDS said that the 2016 fellows will collectively solve challenges around the environment, health, and our society in general in a unique and sustainable manner which will in turn provide avenue for employment and job creations in the country.

It disclosed that the women green fellowship programme is a social response to ending the problems of youth unemployment, job creation, social ventures initiatives and attracting new social capitals to help catalyse a new breed of social entrepreneurs that will frontier the creation of clean, safe and sustainable new businesses in the green economy while creating jobs, enabling livelihood for the poor and advancing the sustainable development goals.

SMEFUNDS said that modeled after best global practices and in its 3rd season, the programme invites and galvanizes graduates across the country to a six-month mentor-led social business accelerator program.

It said that young women and professionals through the programme will participate, engage and collaborate to identify and proffer Social and Sustainable Solutions to various problems confronting the poor, our communities, ecosystem and economy.

SMEFUNDS has committed over $2million into clean energy social enterprises in the past three years.

The organisation said the impact investment fund has already been committed into two Clean Energy Social Enterprises in the last three years.

It indicated that while the program attempts to support Women Focused Green Social Enterprises in Nigeria, it at the same time accelerates the creation of green jobs for young graduates seeking professional career path in the social sector.

The organisation said the beneficiaries should be willing to work as green fellows; empowering low income households, marginalised groups, schools and businesses with alternative renewable energy solutions.

It maintained that action will be entrenched in developing capacities and increased support for small businesses that will increase access to food, shelter, clean energy technologies and the adoption of alternative renewable solutions such as solar energy, Wind power, Bio Gas, BioFuels and Climate Smart Agriculture.

The group said that the program provides solution to the power problem in Nigeria and  at the same time, creates jobs for youth and graduates seeking professional career in the social sector and willing to Intern as green fellows; empowering homes, schools and businesses with new Green technologies, Advocacies and Clean energy rapid wide-spread in Africa.

It noted that the fellowship provides six months long fellowship experience for exceptional young Nigerian graduates matching them with challenging projects and enhance their competiveness through world class training, internship and funding opportunities.

The organisation the internship became inevitable as over 60 percent of Nigerian graduates within the past six years are unemployed and over dependent.

It said that an alarming rate of joblessness amongst the youth today has  created a huge damage to the overall productivity rate since the human capital that should have contributed to the overall GDP of the economy are in total waste.

SMEFUNDS said that the Federal Government is losing in excess of N10billion annually to unemployment as the number of non-taxable citizens is on the surge.

It disclosed that there is a new economy doing in excess of 5.3trillion Dollars annually and the workforce is extremely understaffed.

The organisation said that the Paris Summit and the world leaders recently realised the threat of climate change and greenhouse effect on our sustenance.

It remarked that with the recent African Development Bank (AfDB) New Energy Deal and a Unified Climate Change Agreement being considered for ratification by more than 190 countries, more than $900Billion needed to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is expected to be fully harnessed by the teeming African Youth population.

SMEFUNDS maintained that this opportunity for Africa to lead the green economy by linking both Human and Environmental resources to the growth and development of the continent will be unprecedented.