CITAD trains 20 more women on digital entrepreneurship

As part of its determination to sustain empowerment of women and girls, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has graduated 20 more women who had acquired skills on digital entrepreneurship.

This is the second phase of the empowerment program , known as “Digital Livelihood Training for Young Women and Girl,” held at the Centre for Democratic Research and Training, Mambayya House in Kano city.

The program is being supported by the United States Embassy, according to the organizers.

Representative of CITAD, Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai, in his remarks said the the workshop seeks to equip beneficiaries with knowledge on how to utilize ICT to run successful business enterprises.

“Many women who have acquired skills in the initial phase of this program have excelled in their businesses. Some of them are even giving the same training to other women and girls so they can also succeed,” he said.

He said women and girls need to be empowered especially through the utilization of digital knowledge so that they can achieve self reliance in different business areas such as food production, decoration, photography, and film and video editing.

Officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), were also invited to enlighten beneficiaries on existing loan schemes provided by the government to empower women and youths such as the Agri-Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS).

Also an official of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDA) Suleiman Umar explained guidelines for acquiring NAFDAC registration to beneficiaries.

He said the agency has slashed registration fees for small scale businesses from N50,000 to N26,000, adding that it is now easier and faster to obtain NAFDAC number than it was in the past.

A beneficiary, Maryam Ibrahim from Bunkure local government area to our reporter that she had acquired efficient business skills on digital photography which she hopes to practice in order to be self-reliant.

Maryam expressed gratitude to CITAD for exposing her to the world of computer and digital technology and its potentials.

Another beneficiary, Mary Oluwole from Fagge local government area also said she was trained on the use of computer which she said makes her work easier, adding that she was grateful to CITAD for the training.