Enugu Gov’t Begins Empowerment, Training of Artisans, Business Owners

As part of its efforts to eradicate poverty and drive economic growth in rural areas in the state, the Enugu State government has announced that it is commencing different empowerment and training programmes for artisans and rural business owners such as traders, entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises and others hoping for a start-up after the completion of the training exercise.

The state commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Pharmacist Chika Ugwuoke, disclosed this on Monday while interacting with newsmen in Enugu, saying the government of Governor Peter Mbah was deliberate about eradicating poverty in the state through different stimuli and approaches that would spur economic growth not only in urban areas but also in semi-urban and rural areas.

He stated that one of the aims of the training exercise is to equip rural artisans with requisite skills needed to grow their business and become employers of labour in their areas.

The commissioner, who said the state would be partnering with Enterprise Development Centre wing of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, added that the programme will help to transform rural economy by boosting economic growth and development.

Noting that the theme of the empowerment and training revolves around rural business as agents of economic growth, Ugwuoke said the three senatorial zones in the state will benefit immensely from it.

He encouraged artisans and business owners to make themselves available for the programmes, adding that the first of such exercise would take place at the Umuezenke Hall, Obukpa, Nsukka, between April 9 and April 10.

He further commended governor Mbah for all the support his administration is giving to the ministry to ensuring that the mandate set out for it is achieved.

“You would recall that the governor promised that his administration sets out to not only change the economic trajectory of the state by moving it from the $4.4 billion to $30 billion it met it, but to also eradicate poverty and achieve a zero percent headcount.

“If you look at what is happening in the state, you will observe that the journey to achieving these goals commenced long ago. Youths are being trained on digital and financial skills that will make them self-reliant and employers of labour. Market men and women are getting loan support and training from different programmes initiated by the state government, and today, what we’re doing is in furtherance to some of the key interventions we have carried out in the state.

“You are also aware that poverty headcount index is highest in our rural areas and what we are doing with this initiative is taking the battle to the enemy ground. We want to teach our people skills that will migrate them from one man business operators to employers of labour. This is one of the ways we can eradicate poverty from our state,” he concluded.