From WILLIE ATTAH, Gombe
About fourty women in Gombe have expressed joy over the National Directorate of Employment’s (NDE) efforts in addressing their economic hardship through skills acquisition of various trades.
The office of the Directorate in Gombe had in the last five days, commenced a training workshop for fourty (40) young women on cosmetology and confectioneries. The aim of the programme, according to the Director General (DG) of NDE, Malam Abubakar Fikpo, is to generate employment, create wealth and self reliance especially among unskilled women to address the issue of unemployment.
Represented by the Acting Coordinator of the NDE in Gombe State, Mrs Mawa Lamu Asmau, the DG said the training, which is simultaneously holding in some states in the country, is under the Women Employment Branch (WEB) of the Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) Department.
Lamu said the training is being conducted to empower the women with skills and funds to start their own enterprise with ease and the training is being handled by skillful professionals.
According to her, it is expected that, “At the end of the training, you should be creative to have unique products that would attract customers”.
Speaking to some of the excited woman on the impact of the training they were receiving, 35 year old Tami Iliya, considered herself privileged to be part of the training, considering the knowledge gained and the window of possibility of coming out of poverty and even becoming an employer of labour.
She said, “Before now, I couldn’t make cake, meat pie, shawarma and many other snacks but it is a thing of the past now and I plan to expand my business with the knowledge I have gained. Hopefully, it will help me cope with the rising economic hardship, by putting food on my table and even helping others.
She called on women to avoid idleness and embrace trade no matter how small it is. She encouraged them to learn something so that they can be of help to their children and others too.
For 28 year old Amuratu Musa Yayi of Riyal Quarters in Akko LGA, she expressed joy over the empowerment and the skills acquired. She said, “I have been into petty trading in cosmetology but I have now learnt more from this training that can expand my business and help me give a helping hand to my family in this very hard times.
“I’m advising women to wake up and utilise opportunities at their doorstep so that they can help themselves and their children. They should not solely rely on their husbands for virtually everything since the economy is hard now”, Amuratu advised other women.
