50 women acquire skills, seek to be self-employed

Nusaiba M. Sani, a woman in her 20s sees herself as a future chief executive officer (CEO) having graduated from a two weeks’ intensive training on event decoration and ribbon making in Kaduna. Nusaiba, Daily Trust gathered, could not further her education after completing her secondary school due to lack of funds.   She is, however, […]

Nusaiba M. Sani, a woman in her 20s sees herself as a future chief executive officer (CEO) having graduated from a two weeks’ intensive training on event decoration and ribbon making in Kaduna.

Nusaiba, Daily Trust gathered, could not further her education after completing her secondary school due to lack of funds.  

She is, however, optimistic that with the training she has received, she will be able to pay to continue with her schooling, take care of herself and lend a helping hand to her parents.

 “I have learnt a lot in the past two weeks and will use the skills I have acquired to go back to school so that I will be in a better position to take my business to greater heights and also employ others,” she said.

She urged women to uplift themselves by learning a trade through which they can improve their lives and that of their families.

 Her story is not different from that of Farida Usman, another beneficiary, who said she has learned how to make cake and snacks including egg roll, meat pie, bread and fish pie.

The mother of two said, “I am very grateful for this opportunity given to me and I will cherish it for as long as I  live. I am sure many people want such opportunity, but only Allah knows why He decided to give it to me.

“I will use the skills I have acquired here to help my husband so that we can raise our children to the best of our ability.”

Farida, who said she hopes to open her own training centre in the future, called on women to empower themselves and contribute their quota to the development of the society.

On her part, one of the trainers and a staff of the Hospitality Department of Kaduna Polytechnic, Ladi Mua’zu, commended the hard work and interest shown by the beneficiaries to learn the job.

She assured that with the training the beneficiaries have received, they can prove themselves worthy anywhere they find themselves.

She advised them to take their time and add value to what they have learnt by taking small jobs at a time so that their products can be consistent and unique.

The CEO of the training consulting firm, Microdevelopment Consulting Limited, Furera Isma Jumare, said the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) also exposed the beneficiaries to training on basic bookkeeping, marketing and entrepreneurship,  to enable them run successful businesses and remain productive upon completing their training. 

She urged the beneficiaries to utilise the opportunity to improve their lives saying she had noted those with high performance that will have other opportunities to further advance their skills.

Representative of the NPA, Abdullahi Bawa, said the initiative is being replicated all over the country to help eradicate poverty, create employment and give people stable means of income.

He urged the young women to ensure sustainability of the business skills and training imparted on them saying, “Enormous resources have been expended to ensure you receive adequate training and eventually, self-sufficiency.”

 The training of the 50 young women – aged 20 to 35 years – in baking and event decoration business skills is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) training and empowerment of Women within Kaduna metropolis initiated by the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA).