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Tag: empowers

  • Govt empowers Itsekiri fishermen co-operatives

    The Federal Government has empowered Itsekiri Fishermen Co-operatives in the Niger Delta with 24 Yamaha outboard Marine boat Engines, Fishing Nets, Floats and Marine ropes.

    Presenting the equipment and input to the representative of the Olu of Warri and the facilitator of the government support, Mrs Rita Lori Ogbebor at the ministry’s Store in Sheda, Abuja, the Deputy Director, Artisenal Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,  Mr. Olusegun Babatunde, stated that the gesture was in line with government effort at increasing local production of fishes with an additional 200,000metric tonnes in Nigeria.

    Babatunde said artisanal fishing has contributed to the 80 per cent  of fishes produced locally in Nigeria, saying the inputs would provide employment opportunities to the Itsekiri Youths and helped them in contributing their quota to the fisheries sector in the country.

    He said the government has designed a programme that is targeted at 27 selected states that are engaged in artisanal fishing with focus on 200 fishermen per state. According to him, such fishermen are expected to benefit from the empowerment drive in form of fishing inputs like boats and canoes, as a way of support and not subsidy from government.

    Receiving the fishing inputs on behalf of the Itsekiri Fishermen Co-operatives, Mrs  Ogbebor, thanked the Federal Government for empowering the youth in the region, saying the gesture would reduce restiveness in the Niger Delta.

    Mrs Ogbebor stated that government gesture would also address some of the grievances in the Niger-Delta region and pleaded for more assistance in swamp rice production and piggery. She said such assistance could be in the area of equipment for rice processing, harvesting and polishing.

     

  • BATN empowers small farmers

    BATN empowers small farmers

    The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has reiterated its commitment to supporting the government’s poverty alleviation schemes with its strategic investments  targeted at  empowering small farmers, to improve productivity and earn decent incomes from their agricultural activities.

    Its General Manager, Abimbola Okoya, while speaking at an interactive session organised by the foundation for its key stakeholders to map out new strategies to boost agricultural productivity with a focus on better ways of enriching smallholder famers, said  their activities are focused on where they could achieve the most impact in the agriculture value chain.

    “The British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation has recorded remarkable milestones through the deployment of strategic intervention schemes focusing on provision of potable water supply, vocational skills development, agricultural development, and environmental protection since its establishment in 2002,” said Ms Okoya, while addressing stakeholders at the conference which held in Ibadan, Oyo State. “These interventions have transformed the lives of beneficiaries through capacity building initiatives and creation of enabling environment for smallholder farmers to effectively distribute their agricultural produce,” she added.

    The conferees discussed proactive approaches to increasing crop yield and enhancing natural resource through capacity building, technical assistance from reputable enterprise-based organisations as well as paving ways for easy access for the distribution of agricultural produce.

    Okoya said: “This strategic meeting with the technical partners becomes necessary due to BATN Foundation’s yearning for sustainable agricultural development, enriching lives of smallholder farmers, providing periodic information on agricultural development, and sharing learning on agriculture-related matters. The BATN Foundation is particularly concerned about the impact of the interventions on the lives of smallholder farmers and other beneficiaries within the value chain.”

    She said the organisation recognises the pivotal role of its partners in implementing the foundation’s corporate social investments. “All the stakeholders must adopt the BATNF’s new ways of working, one of which is ensuring that the interventions’ impact on the beneficiaries are easily measurable with respect to variables such as changes in average household, adequacy of level and stability of food supply and access, proportion of smallholder farmers and agro –entrepreneurs adopting new practices among many others,”  Okoya said.

  • APC chieftain empowers 400 in Ibadan

    APC chieftain empowers 400 in Ibadan

    chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Mr Deji Aboderin, last week empowered 400 men and women in Ibadan South East Local Government of the state.

    Aboderin, who decamped from Accord to the APC last year, distributed items such as grinding machines, sewing machines, generators, hair driers, freezers and hair clippers, among others to the needy across the local government. He was an aspirant to the House of Representatives for the Ibadan South East/North East Constituency before decamping to the APC.

    He said the empowerment had become a regular exercise for him because he was born into a family of givers.

    “In my family, we are givers. I inherited this from my parents, uncles and others whom I grew up to know as givers, empowering the poor. So, it is in my blood. I believe that these little things will help the beneficiaries.

    “Again, Governor Abiola Ajimobi has done a lot of empowerment projects. So I moved over to a family of like minds.”

    The beneficiaries, who were mostly women and artisans, expressed gratitude to Aboderin for the gesture and promised to utilize the items to improve their well-being.

    One of them, Mrs Rasheedat Adetunji, who is a hair dresser, said: “I appreciate that Mr Aboderin is helping and empowering people. If beneficiaries work hard to multiply the items, I believe we will earn a better living. Some people have completed their apprenticeship but cannot afford to buy equipment to start up. There is no doubt that this will reduce poverty among us. It will boost our business.”

    At the empowerment programme were party leaders in the local government including the Chairman, Chief Kayode Arowolo, Alhaji. Mufutau Adisa, Mrs Abigail Olufunlola and Alhaji. Yunus Adeogun.

     

  • NDE ‘empowers 50 youths in Imo’

    The Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Mohammed Abubakar, has said 50 youths from Imo State have been empowered by the NDE through the provision of skills and equipment to ensure they are self-reliant.

    He spoke while presenting resettlement items to the youths at the weekend at Enyiato Development Centre, Enyiogugu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of the state.

    The equipment include generating sets, hair drying machines, cooking gas, sets of kitchen utensils, decoration chairs, and satellite dish installation equipment.

    Mohammed, who was represented by the State Director of the NDE, Engineer Jaja Isichei, said  the step was part of government’s efforts at reducing unemployment in the country by empowering the youths.

    He said the beneficiaries were trained in various skills ranging from hair dressing, confectionaries, decorations, satellite dish installation and tiling under the community based training and resettlement scheme of the directorate.

  • FirstBank empowers women-led SMEs

    FirstBank empowers women-led SMEs

    FirstBank of Nigeria Limited has reiterated its commitment to supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) run by women, its Head, Corporate Responsibility Marketing, Ismail Omamegbe has said.

    Speaking during a workshop organised by the lender for women entrepreneurs at the Pan African University, Lagos, he said the bank has a corporate responsibility strategy built around four strategic pillars namely: sustainable finance, people empowerment, community support and environmental sustainability.

    He explained that Sustainable finance, covers financial inclusion, women empowerment, developing special products, like FirstMonie, among others.

    Omamegbe said the lender also engages on responsible lending, ensuring that in granting credit to customers, environmental, social and governance management system are put in place.

    He said the workshop was designed to discuss challenges faced by women-led SMEs with the aim of finding solutions. “We have what we call SMEs financing. We focus on women empowerment, including supporting women-led SMEs. The SMEs is an engine of any economy, some of the women are in disadvantage position and needed to be supported. We need to build capacity for SMEs led by women,” he told The Nation.

    Continuing, he said: “We have special considerations for women-led business. We are putting processes in place that will allow women have easy access to loans or lending to them without collateral. We are also collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria on SMEs funding”.

    He said women-led SMEs face several challenges, which was why the lender organized the programme to address some of those challenges like finding a successor, staff training, writing business plan, staff recruitment, sourcing for capital among others.

    One of the facilitators, Delia Nzekwu said the workshop with theme: ‘Sustainability-The New Growth Strategy for Women-owned SMEs’ was meant to train the participants on how to address the above challenges.

    Mrs Adebiyi Olubunmi, Strategy Co-ordination Office, CBN, said there is need for women to be actively involved in the financial system, adding that the apex bank is committed to supporting women-led businesses.

  • Foundation empowers teens with ICT skills

    Foundation empowers teens with ICT skills

    In its quest to build the skills set of teenagers in the area of information and communication technology, Working to Advance Science and Technology Education for African Woman (WAAW), a nonprofit, nongovernmental organisation, organised a capacity building workshop for public and private secondary school girls.

    Justifying the need for the workshop, its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mrs. Unoma Okoroafor, said the foundation is committed to ensuring that every young girl is adequately empowered through the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programme, a one-week long camp meeting aimed at training, mentoring and inspiring secondary school girls to explore science-related careers.

    Besides, Dr. Unoma noted that the camp objective is to ensure that girls think of science and technology as a tool to innovate and enable real problem-solving in their respective communities.

    She further said that the foundation provides scholarships to girls in African schools who demonstrate verifiable financial need and maintain excellent academic records, so that when they become WAAW fellows, they would in turn give back to their respective communities either by launching a STEM outreach cell or organising outreach initiatives geared at mentoring younger girls.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Ms. Frances Sloun, the Operations Director from St. Thomas University Minnesota, said the STEM camp is specifically for girls for the advancement of science and technology in Africa, adding that the girls have been able to explore computer programmes on many different platforms like renewable energy and how it works, climate change and other science-related topics.

    Sloun also said Africa does not need to import to do technology because everything is right here for them to use, citing the story of a young Malawian boy, who through scraps and metals was able to build a wind turbine for his community without even attending school. She further urged the girls to share with others what they have learnt from the STEM camp.

  • Governor’s wife empowers women

    Governor’s wife empowers women

    The wife of the Rivers State Governor, Dame Judith Amaechi, has empowered women.

    She did this during a tour of some of the 23 local governments.

    Mrs. Amaechi, who started the tour at Oyigbo Local Government, urged the women to foster unity and shun acts capable of destabilising the state.

    She said it was time for women to realise their role of nation building and shy away from activities that could jeopardise their aspirations.

  • Graduate empowers pupils

    A graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, Bimbo Akinsanya, has dedicated her time and resources to transforming the lives of teenagers through her Bimbo ‘n’ Friends Initiative.

    Bimbo said the need to inspire students in public schools to lead better lives motivated the creation of the project.

    To mark its first anniversary, a four-day event was organised at Moremi High School, Ile-Ife, last week. The resource persons at the event, Dr Omotunde and Onyinye Obienu, spoke on topical issues, including hygiene, sex education and social etiquette.

    One of the partners of the initiative, Dr Brown, a sanitary pad manufacturer, donated the product to the female students.

    Project Beautify started the second day. Volunteers tidied up the already renovated library of Ife Middle School, Eleyele, and the library was ready for use the next day.

    On the fourth day, the library was launched.

    Mr Damilola Oguntunde spoke on: “Having a vision for your life.” This was followed by a debate between School 1 and School 2. School 2 won.

    On the initiative, Bimbo said: We have a growing burden in our heart to reach out to students who are caught in or vulnerable to vices, such as drugs or substance abuse, and we decided to carry out our responsibility by creating an atmosphere where everybody feels worthy”.

    She added that the organisation was confronted with the challenge of funding of vital projects.

  • Abe empowers 60 men, women, youths in Opobo/Nkoro

    Abe empowers 60 men, women, youths in Opobo/Nkoro

    •Wife donates wrappers to 1,100 women

    The lawmaker representing Rivers Southeast in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has empowered no fewer than 60 men, women and youths drawn from the 11 wards in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government.

    One thousand one hundred  women from the area, particularly widows, also benefitted from the free wrappers scheme of the wife of the senator, Mrs. Bariyaah Abe, bringing the number of beneficiaries to 9,000.

    Abe arrived at Opobo, headquarters of the council, to a heroic reception by a crowd consisting of men, women and youths.

    The senator said the empowerment initiated outside his constituency projects was a direct response to the overwhelming support from the people of the district and followed the resolve of elected representatives in Rivers State to ensure personal contact with the electorate.

    Abe said: “What is happening in the politics of Nigeria is that there are middlemen, between you and the government. They collect what is meant for you and give you peanuts. I came to tell you that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has eliminated political middleman in the politics of Rivers State. He has brought dividends of democracy directly to you and your children.

    “The middlemen are in Abuja trying to sell your future. They are promising people that if they bring money, they will deliver Rivers State to them. They are not asking you; they are not talking to you; they are not asking you what you think; they are not asking you what you like; they are not coming to look for you, but they are in Abuja collecting money on your behalf.

    “We will together, redefine the politics of Rivers State, and you will be the determinant factor. We will banish middlemen from our politics. By the time we finish with them, they will remain in Abuja.”

    A cleric, Ven. Christian John-Jaja, predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the governorship election in Opobo/Nkoro and Rivers State next year.

    Describing Abe as a leader ordained by God, he hailed the lawmaker for raising his voice against the agents of impunity in the state, even at the risk of his life.

    According to him, God would continue to lift him higher for choosing to stand with the people, against oppressors.

    The APC Women Leader in Opobo/Nkoro, Felicia Pepple; Chairman, APC, Ward 3, Ibim Ogolo; and a Youth Leader in the state, Bethel Oko-Jaja, said it was the first time in the history of the district that a serving senator would sit with the people.

    They pledged their continued support for Governor Amaechi.

  • ECOWAS empowers parliamentarians on value for money

    IN its quest to ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the region, the Economic Community of West Africa State (ECOWAS) organised a two-day capacity building workshop for parliamentarians in member countries.

    The event which held in Lagos, had international donor agencies, no-state actors among other stakeholders in attendance.

    Tagged: ‘Value For Money (VFM), it featured on accountability and sustainability in the social sectors, interface and discussions, plenary session to mention just a few.

    Justifying the need for the workshop, the ECOWAS Secretary General, Cheikh Abdel Kader Dansoko, ECOWAS Parliament representative, Jacob AmutaOnogwu, at separate discussion said that the objective of the forum was to among other things remove the bottlenecks and constrains militating against effective use of resources in member countries.

    The objective of the forum, they contended aligns with the ECOWAS Parliament’s 2011-2015 strategic plan.

    According to the duo, since 2008, after the global recession in most developed countries, and the attendant rippled effect of the recession took its toll on many developing countries especially in Africa which depend largely of aids and donor from the west, thus, there was a need for a paradigm shift in order to ensure socio-economic and sustainable development in the region.

    Shedding more light on what informed the initiative, Onogwu said it is also “The commitment of the African Development Bank to improve governance and accountability in social spending and hence, to an improvement in the living standards of the people of Africa.”

    Continuing, Onogwu said despite progress in human development indicators, as well as forthcoming funding in recent years, it is disheartening to note that “increased spending for health and education alone does not automatically produce positive outcomes. Rather, ensuring efficiency of the investments, and understanding the issues that affect the transformation of inputs into concrete development outcomes and implementing well-articulated strategies is what can improve the situation.”

    He however, suggested that ECOWAS Parliament and AfDB should explore further “the possibilities of partnering in implementing capacity-building programmes on value for money for ministries, parliamentarians and civil society organisations.”

    He recalled that “parliaments also have the power of the purse and the mandate to scrutinize the utilization of public finances and ensure financial accountability.”

    Echoing similar sentiments, the Director, African Development Bank Group, Mr. Dore Ousmare urged legislators to reflect on priority sectors and takes actions so that governments direct to them the appropriate resources.  The ultimate objectives being to get value for the money spent.