Women urged to acquire entrepreneurial skills for family, nation’s development

Women have been urged to acquire entrepreneurial skills that would in turn enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of their families and the nation at large.

Benedict Nworgu, president, Abia State Town Union Association Lagos (ASTUAL) women’s wing, made the call while speaking at the launching of the N100 million rehabilitation/acquisition center, customised national uniform and meritorious award presentation ceremony, which was held in Lagos recently.

Nworgu also stressed the need for women to be creative and have multiple streams of income so as to overcome the present economic crunch facing the nation.

“Women have a lot of contributions to make towards national development, they need to sit up, develop entrepreneurial spirit, be creative, and we need to think out of the box to have something to do to take care of our families. God has made us help mates; therefore, women need to assist the home financially to relieve our husbands of the burden in the family,” Nworgu urged.

On the launching of the N100 million rehabilitation/acquisition center, Nworgu said that the rehabilitation/acquisition center will offer platforms where the youth will be trained and empowered.

She believed that when such centers are in place, they would reduce the rate of drug abuse and prostitution among the youth in the country.

She regretted that many of the young girls in the country are now used for money rituals. “The problem starts from family upbringing, so many mothers refuse to follow the word of God in bringing up their children in the way of the Lord, when you train your girl child to know the good and bad, it will enable the girl to be cautioned in certain things others do. Men use them for rituals due to carelessness, laziness and lack of focus in life.’’

On the other hand, she appealed to the Abia State government to assist them in achieving their dream of establishing the acquisition center.

Read also: IWD: Women urged to embrace entrepreneurship to drive growth

Speaking on “Curbing substance/drug abuse and prostitution that drive our youth to ruin”, Nkem Okoro defined drug abuse as the excessive and compulsive use of substances/drugs despite their harmful consequences and misuse of prescribed drugs.

Okoro, who is also a retired director in the Federal Ministry of Education as well as the founder of “The WIFE’’ affirmed that drug abuse can lead to physical dependence, addiction and serious health problems, such as liver damage from excessive alcohol consumption.

Additionally, she said that drug abuse can have severe social and economic consequences, including strained relationships, job loss, and financial instability.

While describing drug abuse and prostitution as two deadly activities with covert missions to ruin the youth, she said: “These two vices have become endemic and widespread with a growth rate that is very fast.

“According to a NDLE report in 2020, 40 percent or four out of six Nigerian students use cannabis. They are aggressively punished in many countries including USA”.

Enumerating causes of drug abuse and prostitution, she said that they include; difficult economic environment, peer pressure, media influence, poor parental supervision and neglect, family environment factors, poor parental monitoring and parental involvement in the evils.

On strategies to eradicate drug abuse and prostitution, Okoro stressed the need to eliminate poverty adding, “one of the root causes that has continued to rubbish efforts at stopping drug abuse and prostitution is unemployment. Creating jobs will help address the situation’’.

Also, she called for regular counseling and therapy as school-based programmes.

To her, formulation of government policy to build rehabilitation centres in endemic population groups especially in Southern Nigeria would provide necessary intervention measures and services to the victims.

“The rehabilitation/skills acquisition centre would provide the conducive supportive environment to help our youth overcome reoffending or relapsing into drug abuse or prostitution.

“The vocational skill and counseling therapy will enhance education for self- growth, sufficiency and employability for reintegration into the society’’.

High point of the event was awards given to some of the members of the town union who have excelled in various fields of endeavour.