No fewer than 140 women mostly widows from Sokoto State on Thursday received cosmetics business starter packs under National Directorate Employment (NDE) small-scale empowerment scheme initiated by President Muhammad Buhari.
Hajia A’ishatu Abubakar, the Minister of State, Commerce, Trade and Investment, facilitated the week-long skills training programme.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state.
Speaking at the presentation of starter packs along with disbursement of the N5, 000 marching funds to each beneficiary in Sokoto, Abubakar enjoined the beneficiaries to ensure judicius use of the items.
Abubakar, who was represented by her aide, Alhaji Bello Badamasi, said the programme was part of Federal Government’s commitment to the growth of small-scale businesses, especially among women.
She said that Federal Government was committed to improving the lives of Nigerians, especially those living in the rural areas.
The minister said that the efforts would surely promote self reliance among women as some were widows left with dependants.
She said that the programme would continue as it was done in others sectors and urged Nigerians to re-elect President Muhammadi Buhari on Saturday’s election for continuity of laudable programmes in the country.
Speaking earlier, Mrs Eunice Danmalam, the acting NDE Coordinator in Sokoto State, said the programme targeted rural women and was in recognition of demands by women in our society.
Danmalam said beneficiaries were trained on the business as well as financial management, noting that those trained could train others in consideration that the business was not capital intensive.
Some of the beneficiaries, Malama Hadiza Abdullahi, Zahra’u Usman and Zulaihatu Bello from Dogon-Daji, Sokoto metropolis and Illela town, expressed appreciation over the gesture which they said would surely benefit them as well as their immediate families.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the event was attended by Coordinator of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) in Sokoto State, Alhaji Fodio Umar and other personalities.
