In support of efforts at job creation in Nigeria, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), partnering with Edo State government and Lady Mechanic Academy, has empowered 60 women in automobile skills.
The women were trained in different areas of specialty, including: auto-mechanic, auto-electrician, diagnostic technician, body spraying and quick services. The graduands were empowered with starter-packs.
At the graduation ceremony in Benin, Eseosa Okuko, Edo State coordinator, Migration for Developments under the GIZ programme, said the initiative was geared towards providing reintegration and integration support both for returnee migrants as well as youths in Edo.
According to her, we have our vocational skills training under which we have trained 25 ladies in auto repair.
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Okuko, who encouraged the graduands to put into practice what they learnt during the training, noted that it would also encourage the German government not to relent in providing the necessary support to sustain the vocational training.
Sandra Aguebor, the founder of Lady Mechanic Academy, noted that a total of 60 ladies were trained out of which 25 were sponsored by the German government while 35 were supported by the Edo youth academy under the Edo state government.
Aguebor, who commended GIZ and Edo State for the partnership, stated that the major objective of the empowerment was to lift women out of poverty.
She said the GIZ provided starter-packs which include tools boxes, spraying machines, sewing machines among others, while the First Lady of Edo State, Betsy Obaseki provided the diagnostics machines for the graduands.
She commended Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki for giving opportunity to the academy to repair government’s fleet of vehicles through which the institution was able to train the graduating ladies free of charge.
Aguebor added that the initiative has changed the narratives of Edo girls and has consequently reduced the number of girls traveling abroad to involve in social vices.
She called on private organisations to sponsor the initiative to enable more girls acquire skills in automobile repair.
