Business Skills for Women and Youth in Nigeria

The Street Business School by SI4DEV Project was rolled out in Nigeria starting in August 2019. This first phase will end after an initial 6 months of training and coaching visits. There will be another 6 months for monitoring and sustainability support. So far, SI4DEV has trained 2 master coaches and 14 volunteer assistant coaches on using the SBS curriculum to coach local women and youth to start or grow their business using the SBS model.

The volunteer assistant coaches support on-the-ground upskilling of 97 participants in four locations:

1. Bayelsa, Yenogoa (South South Nigeria) – 13 women
2. Kano, Nasarawa (North West Nigeria) – 19 women
3. Lagos, Ikotun (South West Nigeria) – 13 women and 4 men
4. Abuja, Abuja (North Central Nigeria) – 48 women

These selected communities are among the most disadvantaged/poor in the states and as economic growth
has stalled over the past few years, and the level of youth unemployment, hunger, and poverty in the country
is not helped by our stuttering economy which is yet to recover from 2016 recession caused by the global
slump in oil prices.

SBS TRAINING ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS
1. Orientation - Participants learn about the project, register and commit to completion.
2. Baseline Coaching visit – Coaches meet one-on-one with participants, baseline data recorded.
3. Module 1 - Participants learn to recognize their own potential and imbibe a sense of immediacy to
utilize it.
4. Module 2 - Participants can identify potentially successful and sustainable business ideas.
5. Module 3 - Participants learn about capital and resources, and how they can use both to start a
business.
6. Module 4 - Participants understand the value and necessity of record keeping and bookkeeping skills.
7. Module 5 - Participants can research the local competitive market.
8. Module 6 - Participants trained on strategies and the importance of business planning.
9. Mid-Training Coaching Visit – Coaches solidify relationships, recognize participants accomplishment.
Troubleshoot problems and look for additional opportunities, evaluate barriers, help provide solutions
and encourage participants yet to start.
10. Module 7 - Participants understand the importance of customers to growing revenue.
11. Module 8 - Participants learn the value of saving and managing money wisely.
12. Exit Coaching visit - SBS coaches gather information to assess the initial results of the training.
13. Graduation – Participants receive a certificate.