The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced a 5-day training for more than 20 women in shoe and bag making in Akwa Ibom state.
The NDE’s Director-General, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, who spoke during the official flag-off of the Skills Acquisition Training in Uyo, said the programme was targeted at unemployed women across the country.
The DG, represented by the state coordinator of NDE, Mr. Obegolu Obiora, also noted that the empowerment was to generate mass employment and reduce poverty amongst women.
“The programme is dedicated to the development of entrepreneurial abilities among women and youths and also to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation, and self-reliance in the unemployed to assist them to set up their businesses.
“The Women Employment Branch (WEB), a platform of the small-scale Enterprise Department is responsible for undertaking this training that is commencing today the objective is to design income generation activities for women to generate mass employment and reduce poverty amongst women.
“I am to inform you that in the year 2022, the Directorate through WED kick-started the training in income-generation activities in skills such as Decorative Painting Making, Embroidery ( stone/beads on clothes), perfumery, organic products, Extraction of Natural Organic oil, Spice/Seasoning Production, Turban making, Event Decorations, Makeup & Gele and Rafia works.
“The products and services emanating from these skills are in high demand, therefore we expect our beneficiaries to be doing well in their current endeavours,” he added
Fikpo further revealed that in previous years, the Directorate through its intervention programmes and schemes has created over one million direct jobs for women of all categories through skill acquisition and entrepreneurial training opportunities.
In her welcome address, the Head of the Small Scale Enterprise Department, Ms. Chikodi Ike, expressed delight over the commencement of the skill acquisition for the women.
The HOD, represented the State Enterprise Development Assistant, Mr. Nathaniel Inyang, admonished the beneficiaries to be committed and maintain the high discipline to ensure the goal of the training was achieved.
On his part, the State Coordinator of NDE, Mr. Obegolu Obiora, assured that the participants will be adequately equipped with starter packs at the end of the training to enable them to be self-employed as well as employers of labour.
