Nigeria Air Force Officers’ Wives Association Set To Empower Unemployed Women, Youths

Nigeria Air Force Officers’ Wives Association Set To Empower Unemployed Women, Youths

In keeping with its motto, “Service to Humanity”, the Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA) is set to empower another batch of 220 unemployed women and youths as it commences the 10th edition of its Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training Programme in Abuja. The 10-week programme, which commenced today, 3 November 2018, at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base Abuja will provide participants with needed knowledge and practical skills in vocational areas such as tailoring, catering, hairdressing and barbing, makeup artistry, computer appreciation as well as photography and videography. Other areas are satellite cable installation, event decoration, interior decoration and soft furnishing, soap and disinfectant production, leather shoes and bags production as well as aluminum works fabrication. The skills acquisition programme is in tandem with the Association’s resolve to complement the efforts of the Federal Government in curbing youth restiveness through the provision of employment opportunities.

Speaking during the flag off ceremony, the NAFOWA National President, Hajiya Hafsat Sadique Abubakar, reiterated the commitment of the Association to contribute to the socio-economic wellbeing of women and children in the society. According to her, the commencement of the 10th edition of the programme in Abuja was a testimony to the readiness of the Association to discourage any form of idleness and social vices among youths. Speaking further, the NAFOWA President noted that the Association had attained an enviable milestone, as the initiative, which started in Markurdi in May 2016, has impacted positively on the lives of the less privileged.

“Today, I am happy to announce to you that the programme has successfully graduated over 2,000 women and youths from different parts of the country who are now independent entrepreneurs and contributing their quotas to the development of the country’s economy,” she said. She said it has long been in the plans of NAFOWA to bring the programme to Abuja, knowing full well that, despite being a cosmopolitan city, Abuja is not spared from the problem of unemployment and has the same demographics of women, youths and widows, which have always attracted the attention of the NAFOWA. Hajiya Hafisat used the opportunity to thank the NAF and the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for the encouragement and immeasurable support given to NAFOWA as it moves from one part of the country to the other to empower women and youths.

Earlier in her welcome address, the NAFOWA Coordinator, Abuja Chapter,
Hajiya Rabiat Yusuf, revealed that the participants of the 10th Edition of the programme were carefully selected from all the NAF Bases in Abuja and their host communities. She thanked the Association for its continuous drive towards empowering the vulnerable in the society. The Head of the Technical Partners to the NAFOWA, Mrs Omowunmi Thanni, in her remarks assured the beneficiaries of the Team’s readiness to provide the best of practical training that would empower them with the necessary skills and prepare them to excel as entrepreneurs in the larger society.

One of the highlights of the event was the tour of the exhibition stand where various products by previous beneficiaries of the programme were displayed. NAFOWA has graduated over 2,000 women and youths from its Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training programme in just over 2 years, the most recent being the graduation of 100 beneficiaries at the 9th Edition, which took place on 18 October 2018 at NAF Base Kainji.