By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – NOT less than 222 youths and women selected from local government areas that make up Edo South senatorial district on Monday began training on several skills and supported with starter kits to commence their respective businesses made up of metal works, barbing, hair making and fashion.

The training which was held in Benin City, Edo State capital was facilitated by the senator representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide and sponsored by the federal ministry of works and housing and the Cross River Basin Development Authority.

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Addressing journalist at the training session in Benin City, the senator, who is the chairman senate committee on public accounts, said he has so far upgraded the skills and empowered over 7,000 persons across the seven Local Government Areas that make up the senatorial district in the state since the inception of the initiative in 2016.

   Represented by his Legislative Aide, Pet Eghobamien, Uroghide assured that more of the lawmaker’s kind gesture to assist residents to be self-employed would come before the end of 2021 and continue the following year.

    “The program is facilitated by Matthew Urhoghide’. He promised all of these things during electioneering that he will improve the lives and livelihoods of Edo people.

   “There are different classes of participants; for the metal works, we have 200, for barbing, hair making and fashion, we have 22 persons. Those that will be trained on metal works and local fabrication will go home with N50,000. We are not giving the other ones money but we have given them full complement of what they need to start their business,” Urhoghide said. 

   On her part, Chief Resident Officer, Human Resources at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Ogbomo Tona who represented the Edo State controller of housing, Jeremiah Abu, congratulated the trainees, pointing out that capacity development is key to nation’s building. 

   Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Cross River Basin Development Authority Milkong Kashire, deputy director of administration, Cross River Basin Development Authority, commended the senator for ensuring that everything needed by the trainees were delivered to them noting that the training is in line with the present administration’s effort in creating a multiplier effect in the economy through empowerment of people for small scale enterprises.