The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Atosemi Eson Teetito has said that the training organised for women in the state was designed to empower and remove them from the poverty bracket to a new level where they could cater for themselves and their families.
Mrs Teetito, who spoke during the opening ceremony of Impact Their training of African Female Entrepreneurs at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Port Harcourt branch, yesterday, noted that the training would create more employment opportunities for the women and provide avenue for improved revenue generation for the state.
She urged the participants not to hide the skills and knowledge that would be acquired from the training, but should bring them to bear for business growth and development in the state, explaining that the training was an opportunity for Rivers women to develop their entrepreneurial skills to enable them grow their businesses and compete favourably with men to develop the state.
The permanent secretary further called for the liberalisation of the benefits of the programme among women over what she described as business improved investment acumen for the development of the state.
The Tide gathered that the training, which was tagged, “Conference of the African Female Entrepreneurs To Build Business and Investment”, was part of the state government’s efforts to encourage women development.
She explained that the opportunity has come to Rivers women to develop their entrepreneurial skill to enable them grow their businesses to compete with men, saying that it would also enable them to excel internationally.
The permanent secretary also commended the founder of ImpactTher, Efe Ukala Esq, for bringing the training in the state.
“She has come to develop the female entrepreneurs’ business skill and the ability to produce quality goods to meet international standard”, Teetito explained.
According to her, 500 female entrepreneurs were expected to participate in the training, but at the end, more women attended the event.
She further explained that with the training, women can now put food on their tables and also assist their husbands in running their homes.
Also speaking, one of the participants and a business woman from Abia State, Ruth Ukuke, said that the training has impacted good skills on how to import and export goods from Nigeria to other countries.
According to her, the training has given the women the opportunity to connect and build solid contacts and networks rather than do it alone.
“The platform has created avenues for women doing business to explore new grounds”, she added.

King Onunwor & Kiadum Edookor