Kayode Olabanji, Okitipupa

No fewer than 200 women across Ondo South Senatorial district have been empowered and trained on soap making, air freshener and germicides.

They were also trained on antiseptic, nail polish remover, insecticides and Adire, which was said to be first of its kind in the area.

The women appreciated Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for giving them dividends of democracy.

They gave the appreciation during the skills acquisition programme organized by Ondo South Senatorial WomenLeader Mrs, Mosun Odukale held at Irele Civic Centre.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Okitipupa Local Government Women Leader, Mrs Temitope Omoniyi, thanked the government for the opportunity given to them.

Earlier, the organiser, Mrs Odukale, described skills acquisition as the process of inculcating entrepreneurial ideas into the lives of the people to make life more meaningful for them and the society at large.

According to her, “One can also view skills acquisition as the art of learning to do something to earn a living and to survive”.

“Ondo South Senatorial District is a region that covers six local government areas of Irele, Okitipupa, Ese-Odo, Ilaje, Ile – Oluji/Oke-Igbo and Odigbo Local Governments.

“The dwellers of the above mentioned local governments are not excluded from the various challenges that are facing two-third of the Nigerian populace; raging from unemployment to malnutrition and increase in criminal activities, which arose as a result of scarcity of jobs. Hence, this makes many people living in abject poverty.

“It was the aforementioned challenges that aroused my interest to come up with an idea of a skills acquisition programme to reduce and alleviate poverty in the lives of the people in her district,” she explained.

She appreciated First Lady, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, whom she described as her role model, who has been empowering our girls and women in Ondo State. “We all have to join her and move our women forward”, she said.

She therefore advised all beneficiaries to utilise the skills acquired to earn their living.