The Chairman, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Alhaji Ahmed Wadada, has trained 1,000 women on different skills acquisition in Nasarawa West Senatorial District and empowered them with starter packs of N10 million.
Presenting the packs to the beneficiaries who had five-days intensive training, on Saturday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Wadada said the gesture was aimed at reducing poverty among rural women in Nasarawa West.
The PAN chairman, who is also the founder of Wadada Education Foundation said that the empowerment programme was targeted at stimulating entrepreneurship development in the district.
Wadada, a former two-term member of House of Representatives, said it was imperative for all affluent persons in Nigeria to support the efforts of the Federal Government at eliminating poverty in the country.
He said that 200 women were meticulously
selected from each of the five Local Governments Areas that made up the Nasarawa West Senatorial District to benefit from the training scheme.
” I welcome to you all to the grand finale of the women empowerment scheme organised by Wadada Education Foundation.
“And in collaboration with the Amazons of Arewa Rural Women Intervention Scheme and IX Media which is targeted at empowering women in Nasarawa West Senatorial District.
“This is not the first empowerment programme that the foundation is embarking on; but this time around we targeted women because we all know what it means to empower or educate a woman.
” When you educate or empower a woman, you are empowering the entire society. That is why we have chosen this time around to empower our women.
” And not just to empower them by acquiring skills but of course to compliment it with starter packs so that you do not train them to acquire the skills and go home empty handed.
” If they go home empty handed, the skills that they have acquired may be a waste because they may not have finance to start on their own.
” And that is why we put together starter packs for the trainees in the various aspect of the skills they have acquired to take home and begin to practice immediately after the training,” he said.
He, however, said that some people might be wondering the cost implications of empowering 1,000 women.
“I really do not have the actual figure of the amount of money spent for various components of the programme.
” But I know so far we have spent not less than N10 million to ensure holistic execution of the project,” Wadada said.
Wadada said that the foundation was not just doing the training for the fun of it, but it would follow up with assessment and evaluation to see what the various women would be doing at their various communities.
“And in the various skills that they have acquired as a result of the training that they have been given.
” The assessment and evaluation of each and every one them will determine the next line of action to be taken on each of them.
” Any of them doing well will be given additional support,” he said.
He said “for instance if a woman that has been trained to produce shampoo is doing averagely well.
” If her starter pack before was N20,000, she will be rewarded with 10 or 20 per cent of her total package to enable her deepen and broaden the scope of her operation.”
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Hauwa’u MaiKeffi, who was trained on catering service, expressed gratitude to Wadada for training her on modern skill of catering service and providing her with starter pack.
She assured that all the beneficiaries would ensure judicious utilisation of the skills acquired and the tools provided to them. (NAN)
