BY: Vitalis Ugoh, Calabar
The National Directorate for Employment (NDE) through its intervention programmes and schemes had created over one million direct jobs for women of all categories through skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training opportunities across the country.
The directorate has also, provided a platform for women who have benefitted from its numerous skills acquisition trainings to gain international exposure and network through participation in local and international Trade Fairs.
Director General of NDE Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, disclosed this at the flagging off of training workshop for women in the 18 local government area of Cross River.
He called on the beneficiaries of the training to listen attentively to their trainers and practice whatever they were being taught, at home.
According to him, “Do not let your domestic duties serve as a distraction to you; create time to practice, as practice makes perfection.”
“Ultimately, it is my desire that you become self-employed thereby increasing the wealth and dignity of your family.”
The intensive 5-day training is on shoe/bag making as well as fabrics for unemployed woman across the 18 local government area of Cross River state.
Fikpo, said the training was to boost the capacity of women in job creation and reduce the unemployment rate in the country.
He was represented by the Cross River State Co-ordinator of NDE, Gabe Udam during the ceremony.
According to him, “the 1st phase of the training was simultaneously held in the 19 Northern States and the FCT between the 27th and 31st March 2023 while the 2nd phase is now holding in the 17 Southern states of the Country.
This, he said, had brought it to a total of Seven Hundred and Forty (740) women who have benefitted nationwide at the rate of twenty (20) women per state.
The programme is being run by the Women Employment Branch (WEB), a platform of the Small Scale Enterprises Department. The objective is to design income generating activities for women in order to generate mass employment and reduce poverty amongst women.
Therefore, he said, “In line with this, I am glad to inform you that in the year 2022, the Directorate through WEB kick-started the training in income-generating 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 (Headgear) making, Event Decoration, Makeup & Gele and Rafia Works.
He disclosed that products and services emanating from these skills are in high demand, therefore we expect our beneficiaries to be doing well in their current endeavours.
