Wife of the President, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has restated her resolve to contribute to the reduction of the level of poverty in the country and ensuring self-reliance among Nigerian women. She was flagging-off a Women Empowerment Programme of Future Assured Programme, organized in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Friday, 14th December 2018.
Mrs. Buhari, while addressing a massive crowd said 11, 600 women and youth would benefit from the programme. Giving a break-down, she said that 1,500 women and youths would be trained on vocational skills, while 1,000 others undergoing training would be given starter packs and a sum of N5,000 each.
She announced disbursement of interest-free loan to 1,000 beneficiaries, issuance of basic training certificates to 5,000 persons as well as other schemes as part of the empowerment package.
“Future Assured is contributing to this Programme with the empowerment of 4,000 women. As you are all aware, the importance of women economic empowerment cannot be over-emphasized. It specifically addresses the five goals of Sustainable Development Goals, SDG.”
She charged beneficiaries of the empowerment programme to be prepared to be successful entrepreneurs in order to combat poverty and unemployment in the state and country.
Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Legislative Matters, said beneficiaries were selected across party lines after evaluation of their applications which he said, were submitted online. He appreciated the Management of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for partnering Future Assured Programme in the empowerment project.
Director-General of NDE, Dr. Nasiru Muhammad Ladan, said the aim of the programme is to empower the women and youth of the state in various trades so they become financially independent and contribute to the economy.
Dr. Ladan said the best way to reduce poverty was to target rural areas which the NDE continues to do while conducting a wide range of research using NIMC and other organizations to enable them determine the population in different areas of the country.
Dr. Nasiru expressed his gratitude to the wife of the President Aisha Buhari for her support through her Future Assured Programme.
Goodwill messages were delivered by many elders in the state including Chief Don Etiebet and Senator Godswill Akpabio.
