By Stanley Onyekwere
In a bid to boost entrepreneurship, the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), has upped its Rural Skills Acquisition and Sensitisation Initiative (RuSASI) training for women and youth in rural areas of the FCT .
The Agency said the initiative is a demonstration of its commitment to building the capacity of rural communities, as a strategy of achieving its mandate to empower women and youth in the FCT.
Speaking at the opening at the opening ceremony of the training of 200 rural women and youth under the initiative in Abuja, Acting Managing-Director of the agency, Malam Shehu Abdulkadir, said the training was designed to build the capacity of rural communities to produce basic sanitary items such as hand sanitisers, liquid soaps and antiseptics.
Abdulkadir explained that the training was part of the agency’s support to the people and to serve as a means of curbing Coronavirus, while helping the beneficiaries to become economically self-reliant.
He said the programme would nurture Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in rural communities to achieve their full potential.
He noted that the initiative was structured to facilitate the acquisition of skills in sectors such as confectionary, disinfectants, organic fertilisers and others.
According to him, “we will also build their entrepreneurial skills in areas such as book keeping, saving culture, customer relationship and marketing and sales amongst others modules to effectively start and manage your business.
“No fewer than 200 women and youth will be trained and further supported with starter packs to start their businesses.
“It will interest you to note that this edition of RuSASI is expanded to include AMAC, Kwali, Kuje and Abaji Area Councils”.
On his part, the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdullahi Adamu Candido, urged the FCT Administration to continue to strengthen the Abuja Enterprise Agency to deliver more of its mandate.
Not left out, Chairperson of Better Life Programme for the African Rural Woman, an NGO, Aisha Babangida said the organisation was committed to the overall development of the rural woman.
Babangida, who was represented by the NGO’s Chief Operations Officer, Shem Ayegba, promised that the group would continue to extend hands of support to see to the continuous success of the programme.
