119 participants drawn from across Kaduna state, north central Nigeria, have received soft skills training in 14 vocational areas and create employment.
The organisers, Nigerian Breweries Plc, said the beneficiaries were drawn from three communities of Kudenda, Makera and Kakuri respectively, on merit.
They were awarded certificates of participation with start-up tools after completion of the 12 weeks training in Kaduna.
In his remarks during the 2022 NB Plc empowerment programme, the Kaduna Branch Manager, Osasu Oviawe, disclosed that part of the company’s social responsibility was to give back to the society.
Oviawe explained further that the initiative drives home the corporate philosophy of the company to support youth and women on their journey to entrepreneurship, employment generation and financial independence.
“This year, the NB empowerment program was held in 6 locations; Lagos, Abuja, Ota, Kaduna and Awo-Omamma to support a total of 472 women and youths in 20 skill areas with training and provision of start-up tools”, he emphasized.
Providing background on the initiative, the manager further stated that the empowerment programme started in 2019 with a pilot scheme in Awo-Omamma of Imo state.
“That year, 105 youths selected from seven villages that made up the community were trained across 5 skill areas and equipped with start-up tools to commence their journey into entrepreneurship.”
“In 2020, the programme was expanded to 5 brewery host communities, namely Ama in Enugu State, Kakuri in Kaduna State, Awo-Omamma in Imo State as well as Ota and Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State. A total of 347 persons benefitted in training and also received start-up tools in their relevant fields of training.”
According to the BM, in 2021, the programme impacted 441 youths and women across 20 skills area in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Kakuri in Kaduna State, Lagos State, Ibadan in Oyo State and Awo-Omamma in Imo State.
Oviawe added that they were graduating 472 youth and women from 6 locations nationwide this year.
The graduating students were trained in the following skill vocations; fashion design and interior decoration, hospitality and catering, plumbing and pipe fitting, hairdressing, make up and hair accessories, perfume and cosmetology and GSM repairs.
Others include; electrical installation, AC and refrigerator repairs, shoe making, solar power and Inverter installation, web and mobile apps creation and auto mechanic.
