As part of its efforts to promote job creation, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ebonyi began training 30 women in wigs, headgear making, and decorative paints on Thursday.
Mr. Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, Director-General, NDE, was represented by the State Coordinator, Mr. Marcel Igboanude, at a five-day Women Employment Branch (WEB) skill training in Abakaliki.
Nuhu-Fikpo stated that the trainees were drawn from the state’s 13 local government areas, and that the program’s goal was to make the women self-sufficient and more useful to society.
“The program is intended to empower women by assisting them in generating income, creating wealth, reducing poverty and gender inequality, and creating self-employment.”
“I am pleased to inform you that the NDE management has made arrangements for the 30 participants’ post-training empowerment through a soft loan of N25,000 each.”
“With the loan, they would be able to establish and manage micro-enterprises in their chosen skills, allowing them to become self-sufficient.”
“I strongly advise those who will benefit from the loan to use it wisely,” he said.
Mr. Sunday Apakasa, Director of the NDE, Department of Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), also spoke, stating that the training demonstrated that the NDE was putting its policy into action.
Apakasa, represented by Mrs Carol Eluwa, the Agency’s Assistant Chief Enterprises Development Officer, also advised the trainees to take advantage of the program in order to improve their livelihoods and become labor employers.
Mrs Ifeanyi Otuu, a participant, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his women and youth empowerment initiatives across the federation.
“We anticipate that more of this program will be implemented in 2022 to adequately promote women’s livelihoods in the country,” Otuu said.