The much anticipated 12th empowerment programme of the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Uche Ekwunife, PhD, has officially kicked off. The remarkable programme comprises various trainings designed to equip at least 3,000 constituents with cutting edge entrepreneurial and employability skills. This was contained in a press statement by Mr Kingsley Ubani, SA Media to Senator Uche Ekwunife.
The series of trainings which would run between 19 – 28th October, 2021 at the Senator Uche Ekwunife Event Centre Awka would see participants drilled on various skills including, Snailery Production and Enhancement Process; Entrepreneurship Development In Fishery Production Techniques; Vocational Skills; Research and Development in Footwear Manufacturing; Mechanized Animal Husbandry; Modern Masonry, Carpentry and Painting; Raw Materials Development, amongst others.
Flagging off the historic training programme, Senator Ekwunife who was represented at the opening ceremony by a former Labour Leader, Comrade ABC Ubani and one of the leaders of her campaign organization, Nze Mmadumelu Sunday Orthodox, explained that the empowerment and training initiatives would create huge economic opportunities for the participants, adding that the programme would equip them with in-depth knowledge to run their businesses independently while making their services highly sought-after in the 21th century economy.
“The current economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic has reawakened our consciousness to businesses such as snailery production that can be done within the comfort of our homes, even during lockdown.”, Ekwunife said.
The grassroots-friendly Senator, while describing snail farming as a lucrative business, called on governments at all levels to put measures in place that will enhance and improve the sector’s value-chain. She assured that she will not relent in attracting projects and programmes that will benefit her constituents.
The federal lawmaker urged participants to utilize the opportunity that the training provides to better their lives and that of their families. She expressed optimism that the beneficiaries will add value to the nation’s economy when they finally unleash their garnered entrepreneurial skills to the society.
While commending Ekwunife for the initiative, one of the training organizers, Mr. Obi Okpala described Ekwunife’s actions as human capital development at its peak. He further said that a lot of participants would become well-known Agro Entrepreneurs upon the completion of the trainings and charged the participants to take the exercise very seriously, stressing that there are numerous benefits attached to the programme.
On her part, the South East Zonal Director, National Board For Technology Incubation, Dr Mrs U.P Chukwu noted the need for individuals and families to be open to skills acquisition, adding that the present curve in Nigeria’s economy requires people to have different sources of income.
Describing the programme as a rare opportunity, one of the participants who was trained on snailery production and enhancement process, Mr. Jude Oguegbunam appreciated the grassroots friendly lawmaker for being ahead of her contemporaries in terms of attracting developmental projects and empowerment programmes for the constituents. According to him, “God will continue to bless the Senator for always empowering us”.
On her part, Miss. Ifechukwu Okafor, a participant in the entrepreneurship development training on fishery production session thanked Ekwunife for the great platform to learn from the experts on fishery production. She noted that she was armed with useful information on how best to set up a fish farm for maximum profit. She further prayed that God should sustain Ekwunife in good health so that constituents would keep enjoying her peerless representation.
The highlight of the programme was a visit to a fishery and snailery production farm where the participants were exposed to the practical process of fishery and snailery farming.