The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) says it has trained 50 women and youths in catering to enable them become owners of small restaurants and food vendors.
The institute said that it carried out the training in Imo, in association with the office of Mr Henry Nwawuba, the member representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of the state, in the House of Representatives.
Director-General of the institute Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said that “at the end of the training, both the youth and women will have grasped the necessary skills and change in attitude for good toward preparing them for occupational trades in catering.
“This phenomenon will definitely yield value chain along the system and will no doubt create direct and indirect employment among our people.’’
According to him, the three-day training provides the beneficiaries with occupational skills to set up fast food businesses, bakeries, and confectionaries as well as promote entrepreneurship.
Kangiwa said that the training was a deliberate effort to uplift the living standard of women and youth in the state, “who are considered less privileged out of poverty.
Some of the women and youth during the catering training organised by NIHOTOUR in conjunction with the Office of the member representing Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency of the Imo, Mr Henry Nwawuba.
“In this respect, let me commend the Federal Government in its current efforts toward launching social empowerment programmes aimed at lifting our one million youth and women out of poverty.’’
The director general expressed gratitude to Nwawuba “for the giant strides, and the passion he has for lifting youth and women within his constituency out of poverty through the training and empowerment programme.
“I appreciate the state government for its support and for creating an atmosphere conducive for the success of the training.
“To the trainees, I would like to encourage them to take advantage of the rare opportunity of the training, so that at the end of the day, the skills they acquired and the empowerment kits given to them will be transformed into a successful business venture.’’
Kangiwa said that the number of trainees was limited to 50 in recognition of the need to observe the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) protocol put in place by the Federal Government to curb the spread of the disease.
NIHOTOUR was established to exploit the emergence of tourism as a viable path toward socio-economic development of the country.
It was set up to become a centre of excellence and manpower development that will address the skills gap in the hospitality and tourism industry through qualitative training and standardised professional regulatory framework. (NAN)
