A total of 127 widows of policemen officers in Adamawa have been empowered with micro credit loan under the Micro Enterprises Enhancement Scheme (MEES) the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
Disbursing the loan at a ceremony on Thursday in Yola, the Director General of NDE, Dr Nasir Argungu, who was represented by the Director, Vocational Skills Development of NDE, Engr Umar Yakubu, said the programme was in collaboration with Police Officers Wives Association (POWA) to support widows of police officers that died while in active service to the nation.
“This new development under the MEES is designed to underline the directorate’s efforts at sustaining employment generation and poverty reduction amongst the vulnerable but enterprising Nigerians in both rural and urban areas of the country.
“It is our conviction that this support to the widows will not only provide seed capital for establishing micro-business but will also enhance their productivity,” Argungu said.
Argungu reiterated the commitment of NDE to achieving the goals of the Federal Government’s Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (ERGP) by supporting productive activities of individuals to reduce dependence on government.
“Recently, the directorate has empowered 10,000 women and youth in collaboration with the office of SGF.
“1000 youths and women were also empowered in collaboration with the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari.
“Currently, NDE has engaged 14,8000 women for training in cosmetology across the country.
“Another set of 550 unemployed youths are currently training in various skills under the vocational skills development programme of the directorate in all the 36 states and FCT,” Argungu said.
In his address, the Adamawa Coordinator of NDE, Mr Kenneth Maigida, said 50 children of police were currently undergoing three months vocational training in Adamawa under NDE’s school on wheels programme.
Maigida who urged beneficiaries to take up the challenge of self employment with all seriousness, lauded all levels of government in Adamawa for sustain support to NDE programmes in the state.
In his remarks, Adamawa Commissioner of Police, Mr Audu Madaki who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ajani Omolabi, also appealed to beneficiaries to make maximum utilization of the opportunity provided them by NDE.
Madaki lauded NDE for the gesture and urged it to continue to remember the family of policemen in its empowerment programmes.
Also speaking, the chairperson of POWA in Adamawa, Mrs Joyce Madaki represented by it Secretary and the representative of Adamawa Poverty Alleviation office, Hajiya Aisha Bello, lauded NDE for the gesture pointing out that empowering a woman equivalent to empowering a family.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke expressed gratitude and promised to reciprocate the gesture by living up to expectation.
