Mrs. Ambode, Chinese Consul-General advocate women empowerment

Wife of the governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, has again charged women in the state, to utilize the opportunity provided by various skill acquisition centres built by the state government, to get skills for their economic empowerment.

She made the remarks at the commissioning of Funmilayo Mobolaji Johnson Skill Acquisition Centre, in Ajah, a suburb of Lagos, donated by two firms, Huawei Technologies Limited and Fortis Project Services.

Bolanle said it was not fashionable for women to be idle and expect the husband to bankroll the family expenses, stressing that having something to contribute to home upkeep, went a long way in lifting the family.

According to her, it was not advisable for ladies and women to live entirely on the income of their husbands.

“It is always helpful that the woman has something to contribute to the upkeep of the home. It also puts her in a respectable position in the family,” she said.

She disclosed that the state government had built about 17 skill acquisition centres around the state, which trains women, ladies, widows and school drop-outs, in skills such as leather works, hat-making, carpentry, shoe-making, soap-making, dress-designing and computer-studies among others.

“As at now, Lagos state has no less than 17 skill acquisition centres, located around the state, for the purpose of training people, especially women, ladies, widows and school drop-outs in various skills like leather works, computer studies, bead and hat-making etc,” she stressed.

Furthermore, she said the establishment of the Employment Trust Fund, ETF, by the administration of governor Akinwunmi Ambode, was to help people become entrepreneurs, by providing funds for good business ideas and to those with skills to establish own businesses.

She commended both companies for building the centre, which according to her, had brought great empowerment opportunities closer to the people.

In her own address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Lola Akande, commended the firms for their corporate social responsibility initiative, noting that the gesture would go a long way in reducing unemployment among women in the state.

Also speaking, the Chinese Consul-general in Nigeria, Mr. Lao Xiao, described Lagos as the pearl of West Africa. He said Nigeria and China as strategic partners, were set to enjoy mutually beneficial economic relations.

Managing Director of Fortis Project Services, Mr. Richard Adebayo and his Huawei Technologies counterpart, Mr.Leo Li, noted that the building of the skills centre, was motivated by their firm’s passion, to improve the welfare of the ordinary people in the state.