The Federal Government on Thursday trained and disbursed laptops and other equipment to 138 female artisans and women with disabilities in Abuja.
Dr Asabe Vilita-Bashir, Director-General, Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD), said 68 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and 70 female artisans were trained on ICT and mobile phone repairs.
According to her, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) now plays a major role in all aspects of life and has revolutionised the way people live, work and interact.
“It is pertinent to note that no nation can fully develop to its utmost potential, without investing in education, empowerment and development of its citizenry, especially, women.
“I want to specifically thank President Bola Tinubu for his inclusive initiative aimed at ensuring that no one is left out in the scheme of things.
“And his desire to ensure that women take advantage of Information & Communication Technology to become active and productive,” she said.
While reiterating the commitment of the government to training and women empowerment, the MBNCWD boss urged the beneficiaries to extend the knowledge gained to others.
“We will continue to train and empower women and youths who form more than 70 per cent of the nation’s population so that they can become self-reliant and contribute their quota to the development of the nation.
“As a way to motivate all the participants, a brand-new laptop and stipend for transportation will be given to all the participants.
“It is our hope that the system will be put to best use. We will continue to support and track the progress of all the participants to ensure they succeed in their chosen fields.
“I urged you all to practice what you have learnt and to share this knowledge with others in your states,” he said.
Mr Johnson Morrison-Udobong, Director, ICT Department, MBNCWD, said the training had exposed participants to technology, which creates inclusiveness by integrating PWDs into the labour force.
“These trainers’ programmes were designed to expose participants to innovations in the ICT sector capable of transforming the lives of participants and making them become productive entrepreneurs.
“ICT is the catalyst that enables digital transformation, so the training helps bridge the digital gap in society by providing digital skills and relevant ICT devices,” he said.
Morrison-Udobong encouraged the participants to make judicious use of the skills acquired, which would expose them to several opportunities.
Agatha Egwu, a beneficiary, expressed appreciation to the MBNCWD for the training, which she said would impact the lives of PWDs.
Egwu said, “We learnt a lot and I appreciate the FG for allowing PWDs to be included in this kind of training and I will earn a good living from the training.
“Before we started I didn’t even know how to operate a laptop and I have learnt a lot here and appreciate the free laptop device given to us all.”
Janet Alabede, another beneficiary, said the exercise exposed PWDs to some of the assistive devices, which would enable them to communicate without much hindrance.
Alabede gave assurance that she would extend knowledge learnt to other PWDs, who did not participate in the training exercise.