By Justina Auta
The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen said more than 82,722 women were trained in Information Communication Technology (ICT) and artisanship, among others, between 2015 and 2022.
She disclosed this during the 13th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari Scorecard series organised by the Federal Ministry of Information in Abuja.
She said that the ministry, through the support of Mistries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and partners, trained women, children and vulnerable groups in various skills as part of empowerment strategy by President Muhammadu Buhari to lift 100 million people out of poverty.
She added that 144 development centres across the federation were reactivated for the training and empowerment of women, especially those in rural areas between 2015 and 2022.
She added that “144 women development centres have been reactivated across the country from 2015 to 2022, with a total of 18,000 trained in regular vocational training, tailoring, catering, cosmetology, household hygiene and products.
“During the post COVID-19, we trained 221 females in 18 states, while the Gender Start-Up Support Scheme for female entrepreneurs training in some states trained 430.
“Another 200 benefitted from training and empowerment of rehabilitated female drug users across the geopolitical zones, while 750 received training in the children vocational skills programme called Catch Them Young, and others learnt tailoring, cooking, house-keeping, interior decoration, self-esteem etiquette.
“The Women Economic Empowerment Programme trained 5,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), while there was ICT training courses for 850 and ICT for 190 female farmers.
“There was ICT training for 368 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in mobile phones and laptop repairs, 40 female artisans for young girls in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child 690.
“Training for 155 female mechanics, and ICT infrastructure training for youths, women and girls in the six geopolitical zones trained 293.”
The minister added that the National Innovative Diploma Engineering Training had 44 beneficiaries, while ICT empowerment training for women and youths across the federation had 294.
She said “the Summer Holiday Training in ICT for children trained 280, giving us a total of 82,722 between 2015 and 2022.”
The minister also added that over N8.4 billion was disbursed to women in six states under the Economic Empowerment Programme — Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP).
On Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), Tallen said 34 states have so far domesticated the Child Rights Act and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition VAPP Act to eliminate the menace.
She explained that safe spaces had been established in the FCT and across 33 states for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) so they could get psycho-social support and acquire skills, among others, to cushion the effect of such violence.
She reiterated the commitment of the ministry to addressing issues and concerns of women, children and vulnerable persons.
