NAFOWA empowers 151 youths in Bauchi

About 151 youths have been empowered by the Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA) in Bauchi state through the association’s skills acquisition and vocational training programme in Azare local government area of the state.

The National President of NAFOWA, Hajiya Hafsat Abubakar stated this at the graduation ceremony of the NAFOWA Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training Programme in Azare on Tuesday.

Abubakar said the training program was conducted within 12 weeks where women and youth were trained on various skills for them to be self reliant.

According to her, the focus of the training programme was on vocational trades and skills acquisition that could easily be converted into small businesses to create steady means of income for the beneficiaries.

”NAFOWA’s effort is also to build capacity amongst youths and women by empowering them with necessary skills to make them self reliant”, she said.

The NAFOWA National President expressed the optimism that the starter packs would enable them take off smoothly and possibly later transform into small or medium scale enterprises.

“During the 12-week programme, training was done in areas such as Fashion Designing, Catering and Confectioneries Production, Hairdressing and Barbing, Computer Appreciation, Cinematography, Aluminium Doors and Windows Fabrication, Leather Shoes, Boots and Bags Fabrication as well as Liquid Soap, Detergents and Disinfectant Production, among a host of other skills.

“So far, the NAFOWA has trained over 2000 participants across the country since May 2016 when the programme was initiated,” she said.

Mrs Abubakar who encouraged the youths to be self-sufficient added that “this would help you to developed your entrepreneurial skills, create job opportunities and by extension contribute to the economic development of the nation”.

In his remark, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar represented by Acting Air Officer Commanding Special Operations Bauchi AVM, Musa Tanko said that the graduation of the trainees was another clear demonstration of NAFOWA commitment towards positively impacting and empowering youths and women through capacity building initiatives.

Abubakar said the effort had contributed immensely to improving the entrepreneurial skills of the women and youths while also empowering them economically.

Speaking on behalf of the participants Mr Adamu Bello expressed appreciation to the gesture that brought succour to their families and the community at large, pledging to utilize the knowledge and the stater parks distributed to them with all sense of responsibility.