Orode Uduaghan, Delta State commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Child Development, has revealed that her ministry did a lot within its mandate to give livelihood support to the poor and vulnerable households across the state last year, just as she assured of greater impact this year.
“Our job is to care for those who are below the ladder as well as empower the Girl-Child and in the last one year, we have done a lot but I’ll mention some of the major ones,” she said.
Orode gave the revelation Thursday while playing host to the executive and members of Asaba Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State, led by Ifeanyi Olannye, the chairman, who were on courtesy call.
Briefing on the achievements of the ministry, she said: “In 2024, we launched the M.O.R.E Grant Scheme. The year was tough and the governor thought of how to cushion the effects of what has happened (harsh economy) in the nation.
“The governor supported 1,600 petty traders across the 25 local government areas of the state with grants of about N100,000 each. While 1, 826 artisans were supported with N150,000 grants each. This covered about 30 professions; those who repair bicycles and refrigerators, etc.
“Also, 1,700 girl child aged 18 years to 35 years were supported in the period under review by the governor with entrepreneurial training.
“The state government brought in the Enterprise Development Centre, Lagos, Pan – Africa University, to do what was called the Transforming the Nigeria Youth Programme. The organisation was in partnership with Master Card Foundation to empower 1 million in West Africa.
“We went to every LGA to train girls in entrepreneurship management; bookkeeping, accounting, marketing, digital literacy and others for free.
“We trained no fewer than 250 girls in each LGA, so, our training covered over 6,000 girls across the state in year 2024.
“Following the training, there was a growth track, an assessment test to reach out to those who passed the test with N150,000 grants to grow their businesses. 1,700 girls out the 6,000 girls, got the grants after the training.
“We also did things with communities, including – the job skills programme which was in partnership with Jobberman to empower people with job skills so they can acquire and keep the jobs.
“As part of collaboration we started last year, we partnered NAPTIP on trafficking. This year, we will collaborate with Junior Achievers Nigeria. They are coming into Delta State to train younger girls. Those programmes were at pilot phase and would be scaled up this year,” she said.
His Excellency, Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori has also graciously approved that we collaborate with the Junior Achievement Nigeria, an international organisation to partner with state secondary schools to teach younger girls entrepreneurial skills, she said.
She called for positive partnership with the media to project the policies and programmes of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration.
Ifeanyi Olannye, chairman of the Asaba Correspondents Chapel of the NUJ said they were on the visit to strengthen the existing partnership with the ministry and to encourage the commissioner to do more for the people.
He said that the need for the creation of the ministry of humanitarian services could not be overemphasised given that poverty has no coloration and as such, journalists should be accommodated in the scheme of things.
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