The federal government has reiterated its determination to empower the Niger Delta women through vocational training programmes. The Minister of State, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Prof Claudius Omoleye Daramola, gave the assurance at the Polytechnic, Ibadan, Oyo state at the graduation ceremony of 50 Niger Delta women trained on confectioneries and household products technology for one month at the institution.
Prof. Adaramola disclosed that each graduand would be given the sum of N300,000.00 each as starter pack, adding that it was the first time the ministry organised a training and empowerment programme specifically for women of the Niger Delta region. He promised that many more of such programmes would be rolled out. “As you all know, when you train a woman, you train a nation, when you train a man you train an individual. “And so, women’s socioeconomic advancement will not only contribute to the empowerment of the family but the region’s growth and the nation at large,’’ he said.
The minister called for collaboration between the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the Bank of Industry, the Industrial Training Fund, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and other agencies with a view to seeing how best to further empower the trainees and others that would be trained thereafter. He also stressed the need for a database of the trainees for the purposes of tracking for future intervention programmes, funding and empowerment. Rector, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Prof Olatunde Fawole, who was represented by the Registrar, Mr. Ayodele Fehintola, said the acquired skills would no doubt assist them tremendously to uplift themselves and transform the country.
The consultant of the training programme, Dr. Benjamin Irikefe, said the training was planned to make the trainees employable by giving them requisite skills to be employers of labour and not job seekers. Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Angela Essien, appreciated the ministry for organising the training and empowerment programme adding that the training had laid the foundation for them to transform themselves and their communities in the Niger Delta region.
