He further stated participants can source for fund through the Abuja Enterprise Agency as the training is a step into the right direction and it is intended to help retirees to keep contributing to economic development of the country.

Speaking earlier at the opening ceremony the Ag MD/CEO AEA Shehu Abdulkadir said the pre- retirement training is to help transiting staff of FCTA going on retirement to be able to go into entrepreneurship by providing them with critical information, skills and support for micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME).

Shehu further stressed that Public Staff are well suited to becoming successful entrepreneur due to the skills and experienced garnered over the years. 

He said to the participants, “Abuja Enterprise Agency is ready to support them on their journey to growing their business enterprise,  he explained further that the Agency has such rich resource of professionals, facilitators, business developments and a one stop shop that brings you face to face with business regulators and support services providers such as CAC, BOI, SON, NAFDAC, NEXIM, and others. In addition, the Agency will provide trainees with customized business advisory and mentorship to support them in kicking starting the business venture of their choice”.

He appreciated the FCTA for the sustained interest and support in developing MSME in FCT.

A participant and former MD/CEO (AE Tukur Arabi who is a retiree thanked the administration for the unique training. he said,”I didn't know it will come this soon and knowledge is dynamic, one cannot know everything. When doing business one cannot always get it right. it is this today and that tomorrow. If you are used to giving directives like me in the past, on how things should be done now it is not the same and a lot of things have not been thought”. Tukur said the administration will teach them new things and new technicalities in handling whatever they want to venture into.

In same vain Mrs Emene Ibito a participant said it is a very nice programme. “today, we have been serving our father land and now we are been given an opportunity to go into another face of life as this will make us not to be redundant, we don’t have to be afraid of life after retirement as we are equipped through this wonderful training programme, as it is still instilling that knowledge and focus in us so no fear at all.

Looking at retirement it is a matter of the mind and psychology one doesn't have to be afraid as it will surely happen either by age or years of service. Many counselors have been brought here today on how to counsel us about life after retirement, when we were serving government one has to wake up one time even if you don't want to but now you have enough time to sleep and relax properly, in fact you have time for yourself now so the issue of dying early after retirement or falling sick does not arise as retirement is not a certificate to death”.

The training which is of two batches has a total of 326 participants which includes Directors, Deputy and Assistant Directors and other cadre in the service. The first batch has a total of 150 participants.