The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has trained and empowered 40 entrepreneurs with Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital skills in Ebonyi.

The director-general of SMEDAN, Olawale Fasanya, said this during the closing ceremony of a three-day training and empowerment programme in Abakaliki on Friday.

The programme targeted young entrepreneurs to improve micro, small and medium enterprises.

Mr Fasanya, represented by Chigozie Asochukwu, SMEDAN coordinator in Ebonyi, said the importance of ICT in doing business could not be overemphasised.

He said the empowerment programme to give business owners e-commerce know-how to increase their contributions to the nation’s GDP.

“It will help in digital knowledge and tools needed to grow businesses online as well as enable efficient communication, data management and analysis.

“This is a three-day training, and the participants were engaged in three modules, including Google digital skills, digital market fundamental and business formalisation,” Mr Fasanya said.

One of the beneficiaries, Kelechi Njoku, lauded SMEDAN for exposing them to modern skills for business and pledged to utilise what she had learnt.

The agency later gave the trainees laptops to promote their businesses.

(NAN)