Ishaku’s wife moves to eradicate poverty among youths in Taraba
The wife of the Taraba state governor, Barr. (Mrs.) Anna Darius Dickson Ishaku, has told the unemployed youths and women in the state to always be at the forefront of the fight against joblessness and/or poverty, saying the menace can be eradicated through entrepreneurship training (skills acquisition), aimed at making them self-reliant.
Mrs. Ishaku stated this while flagging-off an Entrepreneurship Development Training and Senegalese Fashion Design Training programme held at the Taraba State University Skills Acquisition Centre, Jalingo.
The programme, Daily Times learnt, was organised by her excellency’s pet project, “Hope Afresh Foundation” in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with a view to affording the participants the opportunity to learn the skills that will enable them better their life conditions.
Taraba first lady, further disclosed that the flagging-off of the training programme was as a result of the meeting she had with the management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on what to do to better the life conditions of the people of the state.
“People need not to depend on government at all times, looking for white collar jobs to earn a living but they need to acquire skills that will help them become employers of labour”, she said.
The Governor’s wife who called on the participants to make judicious use of the opportunity given them to acquire the expected skills that will help them in life, explained also that they will undergo a training for twelve to sixteen weeks before graduation.
“The training will be a continuous one to enable the people of the state benefit from the CBN gesture in reducing joblessness”, she added.
In his remarks, the representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abubakar Umar explained that apart from the Bank’s core mandate of fostering stability, CBN is involved in human development.
According to him, the Entrepreneurial Development training programmes on the beneficiaries is aimed at imparting knowledge into their lives, reduce poverty as well as develop new skills to manage businesses.
Mr. Umar noted that after the trainings, the participants will be told how to design business plans, how to secure loans from financial institutions, adding that plans are on the pipe line to signing a Memorandum of Understanding between CBN and state government to complement their efforts.
Earlier, in an address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor, Taraba State University, Prof. Vincent Tenebe commended the wife of the Governor for her initiative to empower youths and women on skills acquisition.
Represented by the Director, Academics and Planning of the University, Associate Professor Catherine Musa, the VC lauded the efforts the Governor’s wife to the people of the state through her pet project, Hope Afresh Foundation.
