By Musa Tanimu Nasidi.
The member representing Lokoja/ Kogi Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon Umar Buba Jibril today flagged up skill acquisition programs to empower over 100 women.
The beneficiaries will be trained to acquire different skill that will make them self reliant.
The skill acquisition program to train over 100 women selected across the federal constituency is sponsored by the Deputy Majority Leader in conjunction with Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency ( SMEDAN).
The beneficiaries will be trained on the making of soap, Izal, fish farming, process and protection
Speaking at the event, Hon Buba Jibril charged the beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity by forming cooperative societies.
“You must utilize this opportunity by forming cooperative societies as that is the only way that would afford you the opportunity to access loans through SMEDAN and other agencies”, he advised.
The Deputy majority leader lamented that Lokoja which produced fish in large quantity has now become a dumping ground for fish imported from neighboring states; “it is unfortunate that fish is been supplied from Ibadan and other neighboring states, we are building a befitting fish market in Lokoja and by the time we finish we will provide you with smoking fish machines and other assistance so that instead of bringing fish from Ibadan you will be processing and producing them in large commercial quantities”, he said.
He promised to provide the takeup grant to all the beneficiaries at the end of their training.
Coordinator of SMEDAN in kogi State, Mrs Charity Abah, commended the lawmaker and charged the beneficiaries to use the opportunity afforded them, describing it as provision of employment and self reliant brought to their doorsteps by the lawmaker.
In her goodwill message, representative of Chairman of Nigeria Industrialist Association, Mrs Modupe Johnson said the programs would go along way to alleviate the high rate of employment among women and advised the participants to ensure that they utilize what they learned at the three day training.
Others who spoke at event include the representative of Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Muhammad Yakubu and APC leaders.