Centre for Women Development to empower 600 Women
By Modupe Aderogba
The National Centre for Women Development, NCWD, says 600 female artisans across the six geo-political zones would be trained on various skills to reduce poverty and improve women empowerment.
The Director General of the Centre, Mary Ekpere-Eta disclosed this on the sideline of the graduation ceremony of 200 female artisanship programme in Abuja.
According to her, the Centre had trained over 1,000 female under the centre’s artisanship skills development programme who are presently practicing their trade and performing well in the construction industry.
She said “It is our projection that in the course of active practice for a ten year period, a million female professionals employing at least 10 persons, will take out 10 million unemployed youths from the streets. “This will help to drive social transformation in order to achieve poverty reduction through inclusive growth and sustainable development’’
Industrial Attachment
She noted that having certified the high level of knowledge during the training, the graduands would undergo Industrial attachment programme at various construction companies in the country to get firsthand experience.
Also, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria,Mr Edward Kallon, said women economic empowerment was very critical to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring gender equality in Nigeria.
He said training female artisans to work in the construction industry would change the narrative that certain jobs or skills were reserved only for the male gender.
“The 200 beneficiaries graduating today are a testament to the fact that women can do anything and there is no such thing as skills or work reserved for a certain gender,’’ he stated.
Kallon, also stressed the need for gender-responsive budgeting and robust gender sensitive policies that mandate women’s equal and fair participation in society.
Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku commended NCWD for implementing programmes targeted at women empowerment.
One of the graduates, Mrs Funmilayo Udoghon, who was trained in Plaster of Paris, said she would love to contribute her quota to orphanage homes.
“I’m actually thinking of going to an orphanage home, getting those people to come over and by next week do something with this skill we have acquired” she added.
The female artisans were trained on plumbing, pipe fitting, plant, generator mechanics, tiling and masonry, air condition and refrigeration repairs, Plaster of Paris (POP), as well as electrical fittings and wiring.
Confidence Okwuchi
