The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), on Monday, commenced a five-day training of 130 women on different vocational skills in Bauchi.
The Director General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Fikpo, speaking during the commencement of the training, said the directorate had made available, the sum of N3.2 million loans to all the trainees as their start-up capital.
He added that the training was being carried out under the ‘Women Empowerment Branch’ (WEB) of the Small Scale Enterprises Department of the NDE.
Fikpo, represented by the Bauchi state Coordinator of the NDE, Mr Lawan Yaya, explained that each of the 130 women would have access to the sum of N25,000 to enable them start their own business after the training.
The D-G who said that the age bracket of the trainees ranged from 18 to 35 years, urged them to take the training seriously
.
“If they are to go and pay for this kind of training, I doubt if you will get about ten women who would be able to foot the bill for this training.
“Therefore, they should be up and doing and be serious about the training,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Sunday Apakasa, Director, Small Scale Enterprises Department, NDE, Headquarters, said that the D-G was magnanimous enough to sum up so many skills to train the beneficiaries on.
Apakasa, who was represented by Mrs Justina Akoji, Senior Enterprise Development Officer, NDE, Headquarters, highlighted the skills to include tye and dye, perfume and learning how to stone clothes.
Other skills he said included make up, headgear tying and event decorations which he said were the money bags of the day.
“They are also going to be learning about organic products. Not everything you’ve to go to pharmacies and shops to buy drugs while we have natural herbs and spices that can do wonders.
“These are but few among all other skills they will be trained on.
“The beneficiaries should count themselves privileged to have been selected to attend this training because out of many people, only these numbers were selected.
“They should take it seriously as the D-.G had made available the startup capital for them as well as the transport fare throughout the period of the training.
“If they are wise, they will be attentive, learn effectively what they are about to be taught and then put it into use,” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries not to divert their startup capital for a different purpose, adding that they would make it big even by starting with little.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Hajara Abubakar, who spoke on behalf of others, appreciated the NDE and promised to pay maximum attention as well as making judicious use of the start-up capital.(NAN)
