A Nongovernmental organisation, Aids for Women, Adolescents and Children International (AWACIO), in partnership with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), empowered 58 Anambra State beneficiaries with starter packs after their skills acquisition training in Enugwu-ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area.

Addressing the beneficiaries at the skill acquisition empowerment graduation ceremony in Anambra Central, the Chief Executive Officer, AWACIO, Dr Claudia Okeke, disclosed that the beneficiaries were selected from the communities in the Senatorial zone with a view to fight poverty and joblessness, while empowering the youth to become employers of labour.

The CEO said the foundation has been in partnership with Central Bank of Nigeria for 4 to 5 years, and have trained and empowered residents of various states including Abuja,the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“This year 2023, AWACIO embarked on the journey to bring skill acquisition programme to Anambra State particularly, Anambra Central. We gathered over eighty interested men, women and youths. Based on our eligibility criteria, the number was reduced to seventy. Following our preliminary training and investigation, the number was further reduced to fifty-eight for a total of seven different skills.

” The fifty eight which consists of fifty active trainees and eight standby trainees who have been vigorously trained in one of the following skills for six weeks. Some skills like tailoring will proceed for even longer period. The skills presented for graduation are: pastry and decoration, tailoring, cosmetics and saloon, barbing, phone repair, commercial grinding and tiling.

“We envision a shift in economic power as each trainee begins to make a difference, and is able to train others, spread the wealth, and alleviate poverty,” she stated.

Dr. Okeke emphasized that AWACIO will monitor the progress of all the graduands to ensure they utilise their skills to create impact economically within and outside Anambra State.

In his address, a representative from CBN, Mr Godfrey Ntaji, said, “the Central Bank of Nigeria is a responsible institution that desires to impact positively on its operational environment and the country at large.

“We partnered the NGO because the programme is in line with CBN Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). I am confident that this skill acquisition programme will contribute meaningfully towards the improvement of lives and economy for the people by empowering beneficiaries and generating
employment opportunities,” he concluded.

On her part,the Personal Assistant to the commissioner for Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation ,Chioma Ezechukwu,
encouraged the youths to make use of what they acquired judiciously.She emphasized that the state government is interested in investing in youths, lauded the CEO of the foundation on the empowerment, stating that getting the youths right is the future of every nation.

Speaking earlier, the Traditional Ruler of Enugwu-Ukwu, Igwe Ralph Ekpeh, represented by a village Chairman, Mr Fabian Akpagu, appreciatedAWACIO for initiating the project, which according to him, would uplift the community, and urged them to sustain the tempo.He also told the youths to apply the knowledge they acquired during the training judiciously.

The trainees, who acquired skills on pastry and decoration, tailoring, cosmetics and saloon, barbing, phone repair, commercial grinding and tiling, were drawn from seven local government areas (LGAs) in Anambra Central Senatorial district such as Anaocha, Awka North, Awka South, Dunukofia, Njikoka, Idemili North and Idemili South.

The beneficiaries were presented with certificates and starter kits at graduation ceremony held at Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka LGA. The starter packs were barbing kits, cosmetic kits, sewing machines, bakery ovens, tiling gears, commercial grinders, phone repair gears, to forge ahead into the society with their newly acquired skills.

Meanwhile, the beneficiaries appreciated AWACIO and called on other NGO’s to emulate AWACIO in eradicating poverty and high rate of unemployment in the country.