The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Ebonyi on Thursday commenced the training of 30 women in wigs, head gear making and decorative paints as part of efforts to promote job creation.
Mr Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, Director-General, NDE, represented by the State Coordinator, Mr. Marcel Igboanude disclosed this in Abakaliki, at a five-day Women Employment Branch (WEB) skill training.
Nuhu-Fikpo said that the trainees were drawn from the 13 local government areas of the state, adding that the purpose of the programme was to make the women self-reliant and more useful to the society.
“The programme is designed to empower women and help them to generate income, create wealth, reduce poverty and gender inequality and create self employment.
“I am glad to inform you that the NDE management has made arrangement for the post-training empowerment of the 30 participants through soft loan of N25,000 each.
“With the loan, they would be able to set up and manage micro enterprises in their chosen skills and become self-reliant.
“I urge those who will benefit from the loan to use it wisely,” he advised.
Also speaking, Mr Sunday Apakasa, the Director of the NDE, Department of Small Scale Enterprises (SSE), said that the training showed that NDE was translating its policy into action.
Apakasa, represented by Mrs Carol Eluwa, Assistant Chief Enterprises Development Officer of the Agency, also advised the trainees to take advantage of the programme to improve their livelihoods and become employers of labour.
Mrs Ifeanyi Otuu, a Participant commended President Muhammadu Buhari on women and youth empowerment programmes across the states of the federation.
“We expect more of this programme in 2022 to adequately promote women’s livelihoods in the country,” Otuu said.