In line with the Federal Government’s drive on job creation and poverty reduction in the country, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has trained 50 women on tie and dye as well as souvenir-making in Oyo State.
Speaking on behalf the Director-General of NDE, Mallam Nuhu Fikpo, at the official flag-off/orientation of a five-day training programme for women in Ibadan, the state coordinator, Mrs Olayinka Steve-Ogundipe, affirmed that the agency will continue to focus on impacting requisite skills that will curb the rising rate of unemployment in the country.
The director-general noted that over the years, the Federal Government, through the NDE, has implemented laudable schemes aimed at generating employment and creating wealth among women across the country, through quantitative entrepreneurship and handicraft trainings, leading to poverty reduction in the country.
“It is expected that at the end of the training, you will be able to harness the potential of indigenous local industries development and stimulate the rural economy; thereby making you self-employable and agent of change in your communities and be able to manage the home front better,” Fikpo said.
Also speaking, Director of Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) Department, Mr Alao Babatunde Ismail, represented by the Head of Department, SSE in the state, Paul Ilori, said the task of combating the rising unemployment rate in the country is a collective one, adding that NDE kicksstarted the training of women in producing adire; not only to create a livelihood for themselves and their families, but also helping in their own way to boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings as such products will be patronised beyond the shores of Nigeria.
“Today, 20 women selected across the local government areas within the state undergone a week-long training in tie and dye and 30 in souvenir making after which they will be empowered to start up a micro business of their own in their chosen trades,” he said.
The SSE director explained that the trainees were under the direct supervision of Women Employment Branch (WEB) of the SSE department of the directorate, which was set up in September 1991 to promote women participation in job creation drive and to foster gender sensitivity of NDE programmes among women organisation.
He urged the beneficiaries to give the trainings received the needed commitment and discipline so that their standard of living will be better off.
