Anambra residents benefit from FG’s move to boost businesses

Hundreds of residents drawn from various parts of Anambra State have benefitted from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure’s sustainable empowerment programme to improve productivity, reduce hardship and expand economic opportunities.

During the five-day programme held in different locations at the Obi’s Palace in Onitsha and the Civic Centre, Eke Abatete, in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, several Onitsha youths were trained in different skills, especially on modern methods of electrical installation and maintenance.

At the exercise held in Abatete, over 200 women drawn from various parts of the state received bags of rice, clean cooking stoves and cash.

The organisers said the empowerment was aimed at providing a stronger foundation for self-reliance as part of measures to support the enterprising spirit of the people.

The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NASENI, Khalil Suleiman Halilu, said the programme is founded on a conviction that science, technology and innovation should produce tangible improvements in the everyday lives of Nigerians, adding that the agency is committed to ensuring that solutions generated reach every households and communities to improve productivity, reduce hardship and expand economic opportunities.

Halilu, represented by a Director at the Agency, Dr Chika Eze-Anyanaso, said, “This programme is founded on a simple, but important conviction – Science, Technology and Innovation –  must produce tangible improvements in the everyday lives of Nigerians.

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“At NASENI, we are committed to ensuring that the solutions we create reach households and communities, improve productivity, reduce hardship and expand economic opportunities. Today’s intervention is built around three core empowerment items; the NASENI Solar Home System, NASENI Clean Cook stoves and NASENI Support Pack.

“This intervention is particularly relevant in Abatete and across Anambra State, a part of our country renowned for enterprise, craftsmanship, commerce and resilience. The entrepreneurial spirit already exists here. Our responsibility is to support that spirit with appropriate technologies and opportunities that enable people to do more.”

He encouraged the beneficiaries to use the items given them responsibly and productively, urging them to let the skills they have acquired support their household or enterprise, improve their health and reduce cooking expenses as well as enabling them redirect limited resources towards other productive needs.

According to him, the ambition is to create a multiplier effect in which one empowered individual supports a household, one productive household strengthens a community, and one intervention generates lasting benefits.

Various beneficiaries in their different speeches, expressed excitement, promising to ensure the skills acquired are productively deployed towards improving households, communities and the state in general, noting that the intervention was a demonstration of people oriented leadership focused on touching lives.

Traditional rulers, representatives of government, community leaders, and various stakeholders attended the programme.