The first batch of beneficiaries of the Women Empowerment Programme organized by the Aisha Buhari Foundation in Kano state rounded up their training on Friday, April 28, 2017. The graduands, numbering 1000 were randomly selected from different women groups from the state’s 44 local governments, and trained based on their choice of vocation.

The beneficiaries were taught fashion design, interior decoration, event management, catering, and leatherwork. Others were trained to produce cosmetics and household cleaning products, while others were taught processing of household spices. Because of their number, the women were spread between two centers: the women center at Gyadi gyadi and Salfat women center at Goron Dutse.

Coordinator of the Aisha Buhari Foundation’s (ABF) Women Empowerment Programme in Kano state, Mrs, Ramatu Mukhtar Rabiu, said the primary mandate of the Foundation is to empower women and enhance their chance of growing to their full potential in the community, which has of recent become more pronounced with the activities of the Future Assured programme.

She said the foundation takes inspiration from its founder, Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, whose unrelenting commitment in this regard, has drawn global attention.

“Mrs. Buhari has changed the lives of thousands of Nigerian women and she will continue so that more women will become empowered in Nigeria, ” Mrs. Rabiu said.

Mrs. Rabiu, therefore, congratulated the graduands on the skills they have acquired and called on them to translate the skills to money and improve their livelihood. She advised them to ensure that beyond the skills, they also have to advocate for other women to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

President, National Council for Women Societies, Kano state chapter, Hajiya Zainab Ali Musa thanked Mrs. Buhari for being a role model, who doesn’t stop at advocating but makes a direct contribution to improving the lives of women. Nigerians, she said, will not forget her efforts.

Also commenting on the event, the Managing Director of Salfat Empowerment Center, Mrs. Aisha Ameen Ilias, expressed her appreciation to Mrs. Buhari for increasing the number of skilled women in Kano and said she was sure that this would translate to better economic indices in the state. She called on other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate Mrs. Buhari’s Foundation so that more women can become empowered.

One of the beneficiaries of the training exercise, Mrs. Shemaú Gwadabe, while expressing appreciation to Mrs. Buhari, said, the women of Kano were not surprised at the gesture because Mrs. Buhari has been supporting women for many years. She prayed God to grant Mrs, Buhari the wherewithal to continue the good work she is doing, Mrs. Sani used the opportunity to call on other privileged Nigerians to help the trained women with start-up funds and working tools so that they can hit the ground running.

The training is expected to reach 2200 women in Kano and has been held in Lagos and Katsina states so far. Aisha Buhari Foundation plans to conduct the training in all the states of the Federation.

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