Taraba trains 720 unskilled youths, women to reduce poverty

Concerned about the rising degree of poverty among youth and women, particularly those affected by insecurity in the region, the Taraba State administration has educated 720 women and adolescents in various skills and trades so far.

More individuals will be trained and empowered through the Inclusive Basic Services Delivery and Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Project by 2022.

Margaret Bulus, the project’s Lead Officer for Livelihood and Economic Recovery, revealed this in a chat with our correspondent in Jalingo on Friday.

According to her, 600 women in 10 Local Government Areas where the project took place were trained in various trades such as crop farming, animal husbandry, and poultry, adding that more women especially in the Internally Displaced Persons camp would be trained in 2022.

She said, “The training is being done courtesy of our Governor, Darius Ishaku, who brought the project to Taraba for the benefit of the people of the state who has also suffered insurgency and other conflicts.

“Our infrastructure has been overstretched as a result of the influx of the IDPs from Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe and the Governor applied for the loan from African Development Bank which we are using to finance these activities.

“Through our Livelihood Support and Economic Recovery, we are building practical workshops that will train people in automobile, leather production, building, tailoring, woodwork, and carpentry.

“After training them, we give them access to finance and link them to the right markets to boost their productivity, reduce poverty and create employment.

“Already we are planning to give a grant to the trainees and starter packs for them to start their businesses. All of these are geared towards the empowerment of the youth and women to reduce poverty, take the youths off the streets and make them better and productive citizens.”

Bulus thanked Ishaku for his vision in bringing the programme to the State for the benefit of citizens and urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously to better their lives.