The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun training for 50 women on local spices production and packaging in Ebonyi as part of Federal Government’s effort to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Marcel Igboanude, NDE’s Coordinator in Ebonyi, said at inauguration of the training in Abakaliki on Thursday, that the three-day exercise was an innovative strategy deployed by the Directorate to address it’s mandate of providing jobs.
Igboanude said the programme, which is in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, was implemented by the Women Employment Branch, under the Small Scale Enterprise of the NDE.
According to him, the training is designed to impart relevant skills on the women on the use of various plant seeds, fruits, roots, among others to produce food ingredients.
“Spices have little nutritional value but they stimulate the appetite and quest for food and enhance flavour. Some common spices include, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, tamarind among others.
“At the end of the training, some of the beneficiaries, who distinguished themselves will be selected and resettled with soft loans to enable them set up and manage their business and become self reliant.
“I urge those, who will be lucky to be selected among you to use the loan wisely to enable you to repay in due time,” the Coordinator advised.
Mrs Martha Nwizi, Head of Unit, Women Employment Branch, NDE in Ebonyi said it was a new idea aiming at empowering the women in the country.
Nwizi urged the participants to take advantage of the programme and support the federal government in curbing the spate of unemployment and to become their own bosses.
Mr Nwaji Briggs, a Resource Person, said the training was basically practical on how to make local spices, saying that skills acquisition was pertinent to national development.
Briggs urged the women to make good use of the knowledge acquired, adding that the business does not require much capital to venture into.
“This is a business that you can start with small money, at least, N10, 000 and above. The business can go a long way to improve their livelihoods,” he advised.
Mrs. Chinenye Omoke, a participant thanked the federal government for the programme and said she was happy to be selected for the training.
Omoke promised to take advantage of the training to improve her livelihood.