The Government of Plateau has stated that it will continue to pursue the vision of reducing unemployment amongst its youths and women. This was stated by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Paul Wai at a ceremony for business management and finance literacy training program for over 5,000 women and youths in the state.

Wai said that the beneficiaries of the training will contribute to the economy and help it expand in the long run. He added “it is with such commitment that we have embarked on massive training of our youths and women financial literacy and skill acquisition.”

The Government of Plateau has stated that it will continue to pursue the vision of reducing unemployment amongst its youths and women. This was stated by the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr. Paul Wai at a ceremony for business management and finance literacy training program for over 5,000 women and youths in the state.

Wai said that the beneficiaries of the training will contribute to the economy and help it expand in the long run. He added “it is with such commitment that we have embarked on massive training of our youths and women financial literacy and skill acquisition.”

The program organised under a private-public-partnership arrangement between Fingertips Enterprise Development Partners International Limited (FEDPIL) and Women in Agriculture and Youth Empowerment (WAYE) foundation lasted for three months. The trainees displayed samples of their value-added products at the venue of the event in Bokkos Local Government Area. The beneficiaries who came from the 17 local government areas of the state and were encouraged to choose products that raw material were readily available at their respective localities.

Chief executive officer of FEDPIL, Mr. Haggai Gutap stated that “In every local government area, they have what they could readily produce. The challenge I posed to them was that in Bokkos, where potato is massively produced, there is no reason for people to be poor. The potato consumed in Abuja’s Transcorp Hilton is imported. I told them to work on potato until when in the nearest future, the potato you will find in the Transcorp Hilton and Sheraton hotels of this country and even abroad will be from Bokkos.”

Most of the trainees formed groups and came up with products developed from raw materials. A group from Jos East LGA known as the Afizere Women Association produced Kunu Tanba Powder, an end-product beer from groundnut and soya beans.

Mrs Mary Afan who is the president of the association said that the focus of the three month training program was on how to source and manage business development finances. She added that they were also encouraged to take up feasible micro-industrial activities never been tried by them before. She said that the group was also into soap, cream and bottled tomato paste production.

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Unemployment set to be reduced amongst women and youths in Plateau