By Abdullahi M. Gulloma,
Abuja
Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday launched her book titled “The Essentials of Beauty Therapy,” and pledged to donate proceeds of the book launch
to support parents of the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents and children in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the country.
Speaking at the public presentation of the book at the State House in Abuja, Mrs. Buhari said book was written to meet the new National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Vocational Enterprise Institutions (VEIs), National Innovation Diploma (NID) in Cosmetology and beauty therapy.
She said the book provides students and practitioners with the underpinning knowledge they needed to take their first steps in becoming accomplished therapists.
She, therefore, urged members of the public to buy the book to support the girl-child education because “as a mother, my heart is always heavy towards the plight of the IDPs.”
In his remarks as the as guest of honour, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who represented the President said the book presentation was very important because it is “not just a book, but it is an instructional manual. There is a lot of technical material but it’s helpful.”
He said the presentation of the book highlighted the importance of girl-child, stressing that if the wife of the President had not got the opportunity to go to school, she would not have been able to impart knowledge on others.
“Girl-child education is still an issue, girls not having the opportunity to go to school. If the wife of the president didn’t have the opportunity to go to school, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reach others.”
“It emphasises the importance of education. Her desire to dedicate the proceeds of the presentation to the victims of insurgency and particularly the families of the Chibok girls is commendable,” he said.
Also speaking, chairman of the occasion and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was represented by his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said the vast potential of the beauty industry had not been tapped in Nigeria.
Noting that the industry generated a combined revenue of $19 billion annually to the United States, he called for the training and certification of beauty salon operators in the country.
Tinubu also called for the setting up of vocational schools in partnership with beauty products, adding that “Nigeria needs more women to expand the frontier of beauty therapy.”
He also called for generous contributions to the book presentation “because it’s not contributing to the purse of the wife of the President but the rebuilding process in the North-east.”
Those who graced the occasion were the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello; Pastor Tunde Bakare; former Cross state governor, Donald Duke; Emir of Birnin Gwari, Malam Zubairu Jibril Mai Gwari II, former Super Eagles skipper, Yobo Joseph and Mrs. Opral Benson, among others.
