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By Mustapha Yauri

No fewer than 1,000 students of Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State, were empowered with complimentary business skills and sanitary pads by El’s Empowerment Foundation, in collaboration with other partners.

Speaking at the event on Thursday in Zaria, Malam Musa Aliyu, the Coordinator of the foundation, said the beneficiaries would also be empowered with practical knowledge and resources to thrive in the businesses trained.

Aliyu said the innovative programme seeks to enhance employment generation, poverty reduction and strengthen menstrual hygiene.

He said the available statistics indicated that there were over 300 tertiary institutions in the country who are graduating over 600,000 students annually.

According to him, approximately about 6,000 are getting jobs in government agencies after their graduation, hence the need for the students to have these practical and digital skills.

The programme, therefore, was to strengthen the government’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Initiative.

“1,000 students would be trained on the skills and many of them would receive starter packs; the foundation will monitor their progress for three months to ensure the success of the initiative.

“Beside the digital skills from our partner, the students would be trained on modern bakery, shower gel production, among others,’’ Aliyu said.

The coordinator said the foundation would also distribute free sanitary pads to the female students towards enhancing menstrual hygiene.

Similarly, Alhaji Abubakar Barde, Chief Executive Officer, ASB Data, a partner in the empowerment scheme engaged the students on digital skills.

He said students can actively pursue their academic programmes and engage in some business using their smartphones with little capital and earn a good living.

“In this era one can start a business virtually without going to the market; students can initiate businesses such as data selling and digital communication businesses with a minimum of N10,000 capital,’’ Barde said.

In his remarks, Dr Mohammed Kabir,the  Rector of the polytechnic, commended the foundation and partner for the programme, adding that it was complementary to the TVET programme.

The rector, represented by Malam Umar Hassan, Director, School of Management Studies, said poverty, unemployment and inequality were three fundamental problems in Nigeria and some African countries.

He said the foundation was in the institution to reduce the menace of unemployment; adding, “it empowers the students to be entrepreneurs towards developing peace and harmony in the society.” (NAN)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

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Published By

Philip Daniel Yatai

Editor/Assistant Chief Correspondent,
FCT Correspondent,
NAN Abuja.

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