First Daily to Host Bayelsa Employment, Enterprise Forum on December 8

First Daily, in partnership with the Bayelsa State Government, will host the Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Forum (BEEF) on December 8, 2026, at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The forum aims to sensitize the public and prepare residents to take advantage of the Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Trust Fund, which will provide financial support, grants, loans, and capacity-building programs to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The event is scheduled to start at 10 am.

The Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Forum is designed to address the state's economic challenges, particularly poverty and unemployment. According to Publisher of First Daily, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the media organization decided to host the forum due to the worsening economic hardship in Nigeria, which has hit Bayelsa State especially hard. He stated that over 70 percent of the state's population lives below the poverty line, and multidimensional poverty affects an estimated 1.2 million citizens, with a larger share being youths and women in rural communities.

Governor Douye Diri has committed to working with the private sector to provide matching funds for the proposed Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Trust Fund. The fund will support entrepreneurs, startups, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state, enabling them to grow and create jobs. The forum's objectives include reducing unemployment, equipping entrepreneurs with necessary tools and resources, promoting digital and financial inclusion, and improving access to markets.

The Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Forum is expected to attract between 500 and 1,000 young, enterprising Bayelsans from various sectors. Participants will interact with business leaders, established entrepreneurs, mentors, and financial experts. Iworiso-Markson described the Trust Fund as a sustainable and effective means of addressing the state's economic challenges, adding that it will be one of the most enduring legacies of the Diri-led Prosperity Government.

The forum aims to equip all demographics, especially youth and women entrepreneurs, with the tools, resources, and affordable financing needed to grow and scale their businesses. It will also provide learning and development, capacity building, and mentorship. Organizers hope that in the next five to ten years, the state will transition from a rent-seeking economy to a productive economy, with the bulk of its billionaires drawn from the private sector.

Iworiso-Markson commended Governor Diri for firmly committing to the initiative, which he believes will significantly reduce poverty in the state and make Bayelsa the economic hub of the Niger Delta region. The Trust Fund will provide financial support, grants, loans, and capacity-building programs to help entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and create jobs.

The Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Forum is a collaborative effort between First Daily and the Bayelsa State Government to address the state's economic challenges. The event is expected to have a positive impact on the state's economy and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses to grow and create jobs.

Key points

• The Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Forum aims to reduce unemployment and tackle poverty in the state.
• The forum will provide financial support, grants, loans, and capacity-building programs to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
• The Bayelsa Employment and Enterprise Trust Fund will be launched after the forum, with the goal of making Bayelsa the economic hub of the Niger Delta region.