A federal lawmaker, Rep. Sam Onuigbo, has trained at least 1,000 women in different skills as part of his economic empowerment programme for his constituents.
Rep. Onuigbo, representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, also doled out stipends to 40 best participants, during a brief closing ceremony in Umuahia on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 21-day free capacity building, organised by Sam Onuigbo Daughters Initiative, had participants trained in bead-making, wiring work and confectionaries.
They were also trained in make-up, decoration, body lotion, production, hair making, insecticides and barbing, among others.
In a remark, Onuigbo described skill acquisition as “one of the surest ways of combating the huge unemployment problem in the country”.
Rep. Onuigbo, who was represented by his liaison officer, Mr Abraham Osondu, described training in entrepreneurial skills for his people as “the cornerstone of my focus on human capital development”.
He said the unemployment rate would remain very high, if proper attention was not paid to equipping the people with the basic knowledge to engage in small-scale economic activities.
The two-term lawmaker said he had attracted and executed diverse skills acquisition and empowerment projects between November 2020 and May 2021.
He said that some of the participants were sent to Ebonyi and Imo states for training in crafts and fashion designing.
He said that some of the participants would be given start-up packs to encourage them to establish their own businesses.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the secretary of SOBI, Chioma Ihiasonwu, lauded the lawmaker for using training to touch the lives of 1009 women in his constituency.
She urged the participants to put into practice all they learned, in order to help themselves and society.
A participant, Mrs Uloma Kalu, who trained in bead-making, expressed joy she was empowered in her area of interest.
“I’m so happy that I can now make beads, which I can sell in the market and I thank the lawmaker for this opportunity,” Kalu said.
Highlight of the ceremony was the exhibition of the items produced at the end of the training, such as cake, hats, beads, bags, insecticides and body lotion, among others.
(NAN)
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