By Olasunkanmi Onifade
Abuja – The National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) says it has trained 150 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs in Adamawa and Borno on various skills to enable them restart their lives.
The Director-General of the centre, Mary Ekpere, made the disclosure call on Thursday at the graduation of 239 participants of skills acquisition programme, organised by the centre in Abuja.
She said the training was part of the Federal Government’s efforts in rehabilitating and integrating them.
Ekpere called on the rich, corporate bodies and development partners to join hands with the centre in rebuilding the lives of those who lost their means of livelihood to insurgency.
She noted that that many women and children who lost their means of survival due to insurgency in the North-East were in dire need of assistance to pick pieces of their lives.
The director-general said that the event could not have taken place at a better time, now that the economy was being diversified.
She said that acquisition of vocational skills would go a long way to reducing the rate of unemployment in the country.
The director-general, however, said that start-up capital posed the greatest challenge to the graduates of the centre interested in setting up their own businesses.
She called on agencies with window of funding to partner with the centre to bridge the gap.
A breakdown of the students shows that the fashion and garment making topped the list with 105 students,hospitality and tourism,23 , cosmetology and beauty therapy, 15 and interior and outdoor decoration 20.
Others are catering, 47 cake baking, decoration and sugar craft 10, bread and pastry four, tie and dye six, make up and head gear is 15, bread and pastry 6.
Make up and head gear 6, bead and Jewellery making 6 and household products, one.
Ms Jummai Idonije, the Director, Training and Development of the centre, said the centre would monitor the improvement of the graduands in line with their training.
“They have to be very innovative in what they do and be more committed; they were also taught on self esteem, civic education and finally vocational skills, all of these must be put to maximum use,” she said.
The President of National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Mrs Laraba Shoda, said the graduants could benefit from loans through their collaboration with Bank of Industry (BOI).
“To access the loan, the graduants need a valid bank account with Bank Verification Number (BVN).They will be given N50, 000 as start-up, there is no collateral and interest,” she said.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Sen. Binta Garba, advised the graduants to remain focused and avoid intimidation.
“As you have learnt a skill, you don’t need to get a shop, through the internet, you could show-case your products.
” Do it with pride and dignity, women should not contribute their quota to their family or communities alone but also to the country at large, “she urged. (NAN)
