The National Directorate of Employment, NDE, on Wednesday, flagged off a five-day training programme for no fewer than 90 women drawn from the 18 local government areas of Edo State.
Flagging off the training at the Edo state office of NDE on behalf of the Director General of the Directorate, Alhaji Abubakar Fikpo, Edo State Coordinator, Mr Adeoye Ohioronoya disclosed that NDE is training the 90 women on souvenir making, tie-dye production, crochet making and confectionaries production.
Fikpo said that the training of the 90 women was meant to provide an enabling environment for women to acquire skills that would enable them to attain self-sustenance sustain the family and create employment for others, adding that there is an adage that says “when you train a woman you train a nation”.
According to Fikpo, “This training is simultaneously being held across the country and it will enhance the capabilities of the women to develop a passion for trending skills, help them start their micro business ventures, improve on their economic well-being and help them to become self-reliant while promoting tourism and cultural heritage.
“Through these schemes, women are provided with opportunities to develop their basic business management abilities by producing and selling Souvenirs, Crochet materials, Adire fabrics and confessionaries such as cakes, biscuits, and meat-pie among others.
“The women not only create a unique platform for self-expression but also contribute to the local economy by promoting tourism and cultural heritage,” he said.
Speaking on the mode of training and empowerment, the Edo state coordinator, Adeoye Ohioronoya,
said the participants are monitored during training by officials of the Directorate who will put up a report at the end of the training and the report sent to the headquarters in Abuja.
He said to qualify for the empowerment, the participants must attain 85 per cent attendance.
Earlier, the Head of Department, Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) department of the NDE in Edo State, Mrs Vivian Okosun, said the trainees are mobilised through interactions with women in the market, churches, women’s meetings or get-togethers among other forums.
Okosun said the trainees would be able to set up their own businesses in future and earn money if they made efforts to learn well during the training.
She urged the trainees to pay attention during the training to gain the free knowledge made available to them by the federal government.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Mercy Omorodion Uwoghiren while speaking on behalf of her colleagues appreciated the NDE for the opportunity given to them and promised that they will utilise the training for maximum benefits, just as she also thanked the federal government for giving the women the opportunity to learn and earn a living.
