Sierra Leone News: UNIDO Empowers Entrepreneurs on Business Development
By Alusine Sesay
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will today conclude a five-day intensive training for entrepreneurs at the Sierra Light House, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The training is held in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and the Global Environment Facility.
Participants of the training include managers of the eleven Growth Centres which were constructed by UNIDO, five of them are managed by women. The training also brought together stakeholders from the government, the private and energy sectors.
In her remarks at the official opening ceremony, UNIDO Country Representative Mariatu Swaray said that the training will enable entrepreneurs to transform their business ideas to commercial ventures and acquire skills to manage their businesses. She furthered that the lack of business in the renewable energy affects enterprise development.
She urged participants to be proactive in their approach to the training.
Officially opening the training, the Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay praised UNIDO for their huge support to the Energy sector. “I am thanking UNIDO for their immense contribution to the Energy sector. What UNIDO is doing is helping us realizing our objective,” he said. “UNIDO is providing good opportunities to boost the energy sector,” he said. He called on the trainees to change the narrative and be action oriented.
Minister Sesay said that the trainees should consider themselves fortunate to be trained by UNIDO which will make them gain recognition. He said UNIDO is a partner in the energy transformation of Sierra Leone.
The lead trainer and consultant on renewable energy, Umesh Menion said the best solution for any social and economic problem is renewable energy. He said the workshop will enable the participants to create enterprise where they can move to higher height, adding that the training will create multiplier effect.
UNIDO National Project Coordinator, Dr. Kelleh Gbawurur Mansaray said UNIDO’s eleven solarized Growth Centres have the capacity to promote enterprise development and train youth and women. Products of the Growth Centre were handed over to the Minister of Energy in fulfilment of what UNIDO has been doing.
