The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the living standards of people in the North-East through skills acquisition, enterprise development and other empowerment initiatives.
The Gombe State Coordinator of the Commission, Architect Usman Muhammad, stated this while addressing 280 women at the closing ceremony of the three-day Pads to Prosperity Community Pad-Making Enterprise Programme held in Gombe State.
Architect Usman described NEDC as a development-oriented commission committed to improving the lives of people in the region through programmes designed to create opportunities, build livelihoods and promote self-reliance.
He commended the participants for their commitment, cooperation and active participation throughout the training, noting that the beneficiaries were drawn from four Local Government Areas of Gombe State Dukku, Funakaye, Gombe and Yamaltu Deba, which served as the pilot areas for the programme.
The Coordinator encouraged the beneficiaries to put the skills acquired during the training into practice and use them to establish sustainable enterprises that would improve their economic well-being and benefit their communities.
Also speaking, Rufai Lawan Baba Manu explained that the programme would be monitored for a period of six months in partnership with relevant organisations to ensure that the beneficiaries successfully transition from training to enterprise.
He said the initiative was designed to build health, create wealth and transform society, while promoting economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods among women and other members of the community.
Rufai Baba Manu commended the participants for their good conduct, commitment and discipline throughout the programme and assured them of NEDC’s continued support and cooperation.
In their separate goodwill messages, Hajiya Fatima Umar Abubakar of the Gombe State Ministry of Women Affairs, Dr. Gazali Abdulhamid, Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, Malam Ibrahim Yusuf of the Civil Society, and Hajiya Maimuna Abubakar of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Gombe, among others, commended the North East Development Commission for its efforts towards transforming the lives of people through skills and enterprise development.
They said initiatives of this nature would contribute significantly to addressing economic hardship, empowering women and creating sustainable sources of income for families and communities.
The speakers urged the beneficiaries to become Training of Trainers (TOTs) by sharing the knowledge and skills acquired with younger people and other members of their communities.
They noted that multiplying the skills beyond the initial beneficiaries would help create more opportunities for self-employment, strengthen household economies and contribute to the overall development of society.
The Pads to Prosperity initiative is funded by the North East Development Commission and implemented by Virtuous Reusable Pads, with the aim of building health, creating wealth and transforming communities through reusable pad production, skills development and enterprise creation.
The programme brought together 280 participants from four Local Government Areas of Gombe State and forms part of efforts to move beneficiaries from skills acquisition to sustainable community-based enterprises.
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