Vanguard, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012 — 21
Firm targets improvement in human capital
FG identifies technology as pivot to economic growth
By LAZARUS IBEABUCHI
P
OISE Nigeria said it is committed to raising human capital standard and reengineering the nation’s employability workforce. To achieve this, it has introduced software called Psense that would help employers of labour assess the performance of their workforce. Unveiling the software in Lagos, Mrs Mavi Isibor, CEO of Poise Nigeria, said Psense, designed by its subsidiary, Poise Graduate Finishing School in collaboration with Biddle Consulting, USA, is a revolutionary assessment tool designed to solve the recruitment challenges by testing an individual’s skills which a University degree cannot guarantee, and a one on one interview may not certify. She said, “Research has shown that about 55 per cent of the world’s GDP will be coming from Africa and Asia in less than ten years. As we move towards that era, we will have more employable Nigerian graduates not just in Nigeria, but across the borders. “We will be more marketable and more able to compete with graduates from other countries. Right now, we are not yet there. Even companies here employ Nigerians who study abroad. But our home grown graduates are yet to compete or be at par. There are jobs available, but there are fewer graduates fit for them. “The Psense employability skill certification programme would boost a job seeker ’s hard and soft employability skills that the employer is looking for. It will also help employers get the right people into their organisations. It is a first of its kind in the country. It tests for value that the employer is looking for. We are partnering with various tertiary institutions to introduce this in the school curriculum,” she said. Commenting on this, Mrs Ukinebo Dare, Head, Poise’ Graduate Finishing School, said Psense is an employability certification that tests, provides resources and training. “It prepares the would-be employee with the skills needed to excel in his career. It helps those already employed with how to improve on their strengths and weaknesses. It also helps tertiary institutions prepare their students for the labour market.”
By DOTUN IBIWOYE
T
HE federal government has disclosed that it plans to use technology in driving its transformation agenda and ensuring progress in the economy. Speaking on the topic ‘Technology as a Pivot for Transformation’, at the Fourth Biennial lecture of the Alumni Association of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri
(FUTO), Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Ita Bassey Ewa, stated that technology is a major means in the attainment of the vision 20:2020 goal in capacity development and innovation. The Minister who was represented by the Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Mrs Gloria Elemo, averred that the government was committed to positioning the country at an enviable state
with the recent approval of the new National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation, ST&I, by the Federal Executive Council. The policy thrust is on building synergy through seamless collaboration of all stakeholders in education and research, both in the public and private sectors. Ewa who has been a vocal advocate for venturing into the unexploited science and technology potentials of Ni-
From left: Senior System Engineer, Sales and Projects for Central and North East Africa APC Schneider Electric, Mr Ossy Anyabuike; Head of Payment and Mobility Practices, Accenture Nigeria, Mrs Henrietta Bankole-Olusina; Enterprise Account Manager, West Africa APC Schneider Electric, Mr Josiah Mogboonjubola and representative of Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Eme Chimene Eleonu at the 2012 Mobile Money roundtable, in Lagos. PHOTO: Keinde Gbadamosi.
Omidyar, Monitor Group set to unveil whitepaper on Nigerian entrepreneurs By FRANKLIN ALLI
T
HERE are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed. Download the original attachment Omidyar Network and Monitor Group say they want to unveil a whitepaper on entrepreneurs in Nigeria and five other countries in Africa. The other countries are Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania. A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps readers understand an issue, solve a problem, or make a decision. In Nigeria, a white paper is a policy document, approved by the Federal Government and made available to the general public as a means of presenting government policy preferences prior to the introduction of legislation. Tebogo Skwambane, Managing Partner of the Monitor Group, Johannesburg, who disclosed this during the presentation of a survey of entrepreneurs in Nigeria and the other affected countries, said the whitepaper will be released in March next year. “The multi-phase research project will gather insights into the health of entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa, the challenges facing African entrepreneurs and the barriers to creat-
geria, stated clearly in the foreword of the policy document that if the Transformation Agenda of the present administration must be successful, science and technology must be integrated into national socio-economic development processes and must be accorded the highest priority. He also stressed that technology remains the most potent tool of this era for development and transformation in all facets of human endeavour and undoubtedly pivotal to employment generation, poverty eradication and economic growth. According to him, “The key ingredients of development of any nation are subsumed within the trio of Technology, Raw Materials and Capital. To all intent and purpose, it is technology that drives and dictates the relevance of raw materials in its transformation into capital for investments that will impact on the socio-economic life of the people of Nigeria. “One notable feature of this policy is the emphasis innovation which has become a global tool for fast-tracking sustainable development. This policy is a clear demonstration of the country’s renewed commitment to ensure that our R&D engagements enhance wealth creation through the growth of small scale enterprises. “The policy also supports the establishment and strengthening of coordination and management of ST&I activities within a virile National Innovation System (NIS).
ing environments supportive of entrepreneurship,” he said. He said that findings from the survey conducted have shown that entrepreneurship is gaining +2.2 163.85 credibility as a vocation in the continent. “While 57 per cent of respondents con2,500.00 +11.00 sider becoming an entrepreneur a desirable career choice, sixty per cent of 19.99 -0.24 respondents held that the cost of capital hinders company formation and growth and only 23 per cent believe they can afford the costs associated with using 109.75 +0.31 existing infrastructure. Findings, he disclosed, further re89.07 +0.42 vealed that, “Eighty per cent believe primary and secondary schools do not CURRENCY BUYING CENTRAL SELLING devote enough time to teaching entre154.76 155.26 155.76 preneurship, and 59 per cent believe the DOLLAR STERLING 247.4303 248.2297 249.0291 same of colleges and universities; 55 per EURO 201.234 201.8846 202.5347 cent feel that there aren’t sufficient busi- FRANC 166.3013 166.8386 167.3759 ness support services available for new YEN 1.9376 1.9439 1.9502 0.2892 0.2992 0.3092 and growing firms and sixty-two per cent CFA 237.9556 238.7244 239.4932 responded that they know entrepreneurs WAUA RENMINBI 24.7686 24.8491 24.9296 who have admitted to circumventing RIYAL 41.2671 41.4005 41.5338 administrative burdens that discourage KRONA 26.9753 27.0625 27.1496 238.1756 238.9451 239.7146 formalizing a business. These include: SDR paying taxes, obtaining licenses and CBN Exchange rate as at 24/10/2012 hiring employees informally.”