The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has flagged off various training programmes in Abia State for about 130 women drawn from across the state in various skills such as tie and dye clothe making, stones and bead making, makeup and gele arts, events decoration, natural organic products formulation and perfumery.
Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, director general, NDE, while speaking at the event, which took place at Apumiri, Umuahia South Local Government Area headquarters, told the beneficiaries that they were among the lucky few beneficiaries of the national programmes designed to empower them with the necessary skills needed to be self-employed. Fikpo, who was represented by Chima Uzoma Ibeh, Abia State Coordinator of NDE, further pointed out that the trainees would be paid some stipends and given lunch all through the five days training programme holding at three different training centres, which include Umuahia South and Umuahia North Local Government Area headquarters and NDE Abia State office complex, Amuzuta, Old Umuahia.
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Also speaking, the representative of the director, small scale enterprises department of NDE, Shade Uche, implored the beneficiaries to take their trainings seriously. He pointed out that the beneficiaries would be given starter packs at the end of their training, while some of them would qualify for NDE soft loans.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Alice Elijah for tie and dye, Judith Nwaneri for event planning, Uju Ewurum for make-up and gele making, expressed their joy for being admitted into the programmes and promised to make good use of the opportunity to acquire and develop skills that will equip them to be self- employed and possibly employers of labour.
On his part, Boyle Okwandu, head, small scale enterprises department of NDE Abia State, appreciated the management of NDE at the Abuja national headquarters and his colleagues at the state office for their efforts in designing and implementing the various job creation schemes of the directorate.
