As part of effort aimed at promoting women participation in job creation and poverty reduction in the country, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced an intensive training for twenty (20) unemployed women in shoe and bag making with fabrics in Oyo State.

Speaking on behalf of the NDE Director General, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, at the flag-off of the exercise in Ibadan, the NDE Oyo State Coordinator, Mrs Olayinka Olayemi, said the training was designed to inculcate the spirit of entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and self-reliance in the women with a view to assisting them set up their own businesses.

The Director-General noted that earlier, the first phase of the training was simultaneously held in 19 states and the FCT while the second phase has kicked-off in the 17 Southern States. He disclosed that a total of Seven Hundred and Forty (740) women have been selected nationwide at the rate of twenty (20) women per state.

Also speaking, the Head of Department, Small Scale Enterprise (SSE) Head Quarters, Abuja, Ms Chikodi Ike, who was represented by Mr. Kayode Akindamola, explained that the training was put together by the Directorate to generate employment, create wealth and self-employment especially among unskilled women to reduce the rising rate of unemployment in the country.

She assured that adequate plans are in place to empower the women with the needed skills and funds in form of loans to start-up their own enterprise with ease.

The head of Oyo NDE Women Employment Branch, WEB, Mrs. Folashade OgunLeye, advised the women to exhibit a high level of commitment and discipline to ensure that the goal of training them in income generating activities for mass employment and poverty reduction is achieved.

She added that the move will propel micro economic growth and curb the rising crime rate in the country.