By Abdulrahman Abdullahi
At least 600 South-South women have received federal government agro empowerment through its National Centre for Women Development. Parts of the packages received are seed grants and startup kits, as part of government efforts to cushion the effect of COVID-19 and uplift their living standard.
According to the Director-General of the National Center for Women Development, Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, beneficiaries are graduates of the post-Covid training for Innovation and Empowerment in the South-South zone of the Federation and the Kasuk Project organised by her agency.
According to her, the beneficiaries were trained for two weeks on various vocational skills designed by the Federal Government to expose and equip women and youths.
Naturenews gathered that the startup kits contained materials for fish and poultry farming, among others.
The DG also stated that the empowerment was in line with President Buhari’s poverty eradication agenda.
“The South-South programme includes selected vocational skills, Kasuk programme including cosmetology, sewing and shoemaking, Post Covid programme in Hygiene products and poultry.
“Women and youths in Nigeria constitute over 70% of Nigeria’s population and over the years the Centre has trained and empowered thousands of women and youths with relevant skills and equipment to promote job and wealth creation.
“This is part of the Centre’s contribution to achieving President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda of bringing over 100 million Nigerians out of poverty,” she asserted.
She, however, charged all the beneficiaries to endeavour they made effective use of the opportunity given to them and to bear in mind that monitoring teams will be moving around to inspect what they were doing with the skills and equipment given to them.
