By Priscilla Osaje

The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), says it has trained 500 less privileged Nigerians under its Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP).

Its Director-General, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on  Friday in Abuja.

Kangiwa said the beneficiaries were selected from orphanage homes and local communities for the training.

He said that the aim is to impact in them the entrepreneurial skills that would sustain them in life and make them self-reliant.

He further explained that at the end of the training, the participants would be given a startup kits as a means of empowering them.

“We ensure that the threshold of the startup kits given to them are enough for them to start the business they are trained  for.

“The less privileged ones  from  orphanages and local communities have really acquired skills, since we launched the STEP initiative.

“We have trained over 500 Nigerians since the programme was launched   last year and we are trying our best to double that number this year,” he said.

On the Mobile Training Kitchen which was unveiled recently, NIHOTOUR boss said absence of campuses in most cities made the training very challenging,  as the institute had identify other alternatives for the training to be done.

The Director-General said the institute decided to move into the hinterland to deliver the training to achieve effective results.

He added that the: “Mobile Training  Kitchen Truck aimed at contributing to the  advancement of trade and catering services in communities where NIHOTOUR campuses are not yet established.

“This is what the present administration has been telling organisations to look outside the box in order to improvise how they  can deliver their  mandates without difficulties.

“This truck is a very strong one,  It can move 10,000 miles before servicing, also it can get into every nook and cranny within a very short time.

“So,  we will  see the success of it in the first few years, we will try and obtain one in each of the six geopolitical zones.

“The training is for everybody, in the sense that, all the people that wants to enrol into our training activities,  there is a procedure of course which they should follow,” he added.

Kangiwa urged youths and women to utilise the opportunity in acquiring skills that would benefit them in the future. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi