Women group empowers 30 members

About 30 women have been empowered by the women’s wing of the Iheciowa Development Union (IDU), Abuja branch.    This was disclosed by the president of the wing, Mrs Patience Okoro, at the launching of N20 million women empowerment fund by the union in Abuja recently. Okoro said the women have been successfully trained in […]

About 30 women have been empowered by the women’s wing of the Iheciowa Development Union (IDU), Abuja branch.   

This was disclosed by the president of the wing, Mrs Patience Okoro, at the launching of N20 million women empowerment fund by the union in Abuja recently.

Okoro said the women have been successfully trained in skills such as soap making, bead making, cosmetics making and food processing among others hence the money gotten will be used to empower them.

“The government has the 17 Sustainable Development Goals geared toward the eradication of hunger, poverty, illiteracy and poor health and we want to key into it. 

“The government cannot do it alone, therefore we want to assist it in empowering the women so that they can be economically independent. We are empowering 30 women now. We will increase as the funds keep coming,” she also said. 

Convener of the event, Barr. Mrs Uche Njoku, said when women are empowered they will be able to support their family and society. 

“The women have been doing their business on a small scale, but we want to increase the scope now so they can move to a larger scale. Then, they will be able to employ people and reduce the unemployment rate in society,” she said.

 The Director, Policy, Advocacy and Coordination at the Small and Medium Enterprises Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr Monday Ewans, also spoke on entrepreneurship development.  

“For you to start a business, you need to have an idea; what need you want to serve in the society. It is when you notice a need and meet that need in the society that is the only time people will buy your product and the business will blossom,” Ewans said.

Mrs Gladys Emmanuel of the Development Finance Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said 60% of the N220 billion Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development (MSMEs) funds was meant for women and they can access this funds through their cooperative society. 

Also, they can key into the Anchor Borrowers Programme which is meant to empower farmers in the agricultural sector, she said.