By Uzoh Ugwueze, Enugu
The federal government has concluded a 5-day training and empowerment of about 130 women in Enugu state.
The intervention was done through the office of the director-general, National Centre for Women Development, Dr Asabe Bashir.
The beneficiaries, drawn from the 17 local government areas of the state, were provided funds to start their businesses, while others received start-up employment items.
Bashir said, at the event, that it was part of the federal government’s promise to lift many families out of poverty.
Bashir, represented by Mrs. Nneka Elonu, said the COVID-19 pandemic dealt heavy blows on several homes, and as such, the government rolled out the empowerment programme to cushion the economic effects.
“We are all aware that with the onset of COVID-19, issues of gender-based violence worsened as families lost means of livelihood, that is why the federal government considered empowering the women across the country and Enugu women are today proud beneficiaries.
“Enugu is the home state of my friend, Hon. Mrs. Ginika Tor, the commissioner representing Enugu at the Federal Character Commission, so I’m happy that the women in the state are beneficiaries of this empowerment programmes.
“The women were trained on catering and tailoring, today they have been empowered to start up their businesses.
“I urge them to sustain the confidence reposed on them by making good use of this opportunity,” Bashir said.
Also speaking, Tor said the empowerment was further demonstration of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s commitment to the welfare of the people.
She was optimistic that the women would use the knowledge gained during the training as well as the empowerment items to better their homes and others around them.
The FCC commissioner added that the government was not playing politics with empowerment of Nigerians, stressing “we should not always play politics with empowerment programmes. You can see today that the beneficiaries cut across political and religious divides. It is all inclusive, not one sided as we used to see in the future.
“I thank Mr. President and the DG, NCWD, Hon. Bashir for this initiative. She has done noble; lives of several women have been changed today for good.
“We have seen today that a great Nigeria is possible. The future is bright; it is looking good.
“I also call on stakeholders to ensure that each time this kind of opportunity comes, they should take it down the rural dwellers. Many of our women are being marginalised and it should not be so. We should lift them out of poverty,” Tor added.
In a remark at the event, the Enugu state commissioner for gender and women development, Hon. Princess Peace Nnaji hailed the federal government over the project.