From Sule Aliyu Bauçhi
The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Bauchi State Chapter in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Al-Muhibba Foundation and the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) has organised a training for 40 women on the importance of being educated to safeguard the home and society.
The state chairperson of NAWOJ, Hajiya Rashida Yusuf, said the training, which was organized as part of activities to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day, was crucial because of the key roles women play in nation-building.
Yusuf said that the workshop was aimed at building the capacity of women to accelerate more enrolment of Bauchi women into acquiring basic education, in line with the IWD Celebration with the theme “Invest in Women”.
She said the training, held at the American Space, Prof Iya Abubakar State Library, Bauchi on Wednesday, was also carried out in partnership with the Office of the Bauchi State First Lady and the State Agency for Mass Education (BASAME).
Speaking further, she said the event was aimed at inspiring women to pursue basic literacy, with efforts underway to identify and support women interested in education across various learning centers in the state.
According to her, the program, supported by partners such as UNICEF, focuses on providing education materials and expanding training sessions to reach more women across 20 local government areas.
Yusuf urged journalists to amplify grassroots activities and success stories to promote women’s empowerment and education while commending the women for their zeal to go back to school despite challenges.
She encouraged them to take the second chance at education offered them serious and be serious in their studies, and promised to work assiduously in ensuring that women journalists publicise their success stories.
“We are doing this training to touch the lives of these women to give them a second chance,” she said.
“They want basic literacy, maybe they have not done it due to one reason or the other and they are here willingly to see how they can improve, advance because the world is now changing.
“We as NAWOJ will continue to do our best to ensure that we bring to the limelight issues that affect the lives of women.
“We are celebrating the achievements of women worldwide the day is also a call for action in accelerating gender priority in the working world.
“We all know that the theme of this year. The theme came at the right time whereby all stakeholders are up and doing including government to ensure that women have attained that goal”
In a goodwill message, the UNICEF Implementing Partner, Alhaji Umar Muhammad Shira, applauded NAWOJ for organising the training programme.
He described it as an eye opener for women to invest in Education through engagement in entrepreneurship and skills acquisition programmes, aimed at improving their socio economic wellbeing.
He called on governments at all levels to provide opportunities for women to explore their potentials in the society, and commended Nawoj for providing the opportunity for women to realise their potentials.
A Resource person at the occasion, the Director General, Social Development Goals (SSGs) , Bauchi State, Mrs Lydia John Shehu encouraged women in the state to be steadfast in the quest to acquire knowledge , towards impacting positively in their livelihood.
She therefore called on women in the state to make sure they enrolled themselves in schools and also adult classes to learn more, most especially entrepreneurship to be self-reliant
In a remarks, the Coordinator, Almuhibba Foundation, Alhaji Aliyu Duguri, disclosed that the Foundation has established skill acquisition centers in some local government Areas in the state and Abuja, aimed at providing opportunities for women to acquire basic skills.
Other resource persons , Hajiya Ibrahim Kilishi, and Hajiya Yagana spoke on the importance of Education to societal development. End
