By Danzumi Ishaku, Jalingo.
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) has trained and empowered 80 Women in Self Employment Programme (WISE-P).
Mr Olawale Fasanya, Director General SMEDAN made this known on Friday at the Opening Ceremony of the Women in Self Employment Programme (WISE-P) held in Jalingo.
Fasanya who was representated by Hajiya Fatima Shuaibu, Deputy Director Human Resources in the agency said that the 5-day training programme was designed to basically to promote self reliance amongst women.
He also said that the Programme was to empower women in order to achieve improved productivity and sustainability in agribusinesses.
The director general listed some of the components of the Programme as; entrepreneurship training, vocational training, empowerment with common facilities and delivery of Business Development Service (BDS) for eight Cooperative Societies of 10 members each totalling 80.
He said that the Programme had targeted 13 states accross the six geopolitical zones.
He said that the first phase of the programme was conducted in six states of Osun, Ebonyi, Katsina, Bauchi, Ekiti and Kwara.
He encouraged the participants to utilize the opportunity as a means of self employment and as well another means of providing job opportunities to others to earn their livings.
Fasanya expressed optimism that the programme had impacted many, adding that 1040 were the targeted beneficiaries of the Programme nation wide.
Some of the participants who spoke to Daybreak News said that the training had boosted their entrepreneaural skills.
Madam Amina Ibrahim, a hair dresser commended the SMEDAN for designing such a life impactful programme.
Ibrahim said that the skills she had got during the training.
Also, Mrs Mariam Iliyasu, a grandnut cake producer said that the programme had bequeath to her skills she has not imagine that they exist.
Iliyasu said that the empowerment would go along way in improving her business performance.
