Forty women selected from host communities to the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company Limited (NGMC) in Delta operations are currently on a 3-week long skills acquisition programme in five vocational areas.
The women will till Sunday, August 29, 2021, undergo intensive practical training in Tailoring & Fashion Design, Catering, Make-up, Pedicure & Manicure, Hairdressing & styling and Computer Services.
While officially flagging off the women skills acquisition programme on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at the Ishaka Hotel in Warri, Delta State, the Managing Director of Nigerian Gas Marketing Company Limited (NGMC), Mr Justin Ezeala, who was represented by the General Manager, Services NAPIMS, Mr Sani Kabor, in a written speech said, “NGMC will always encourage and appreciate communities that promote peace, dialogue and understanding in the resolution of any issue”.
This, according to him is the hallmark of NGMC’s community relations engagement process.
Ezeala said, “As a Gas Marketing Company with a vision to support the economic growth of Nigeria, our network of gas pipelines extends to over 540km with Metering Stations located in 6 states of the Federation.
“What this indicates, is that our pipelines and facilities transverse over 120 host communities across the vast areas or the country.
“Nonetheless, as a responsible and responsive Company, we remain committed to developing a robust and sustainable relationship with our host communities. Their wellbeing is paramount and forms part of our Corporate Social Responsibility thrust. This is simply why we are here today.
“The beneficiaries who were carefully nominated by executives of their host communities shall undergo intensive three-weeks training in catering, Tailoring/Fashion Design, Hairdressing, Make-up/Pedicure/Manicure/Gele Tying and Computer/Desk Top Publishing.
“At the end of the exercise, the trainees shall be handed over starter packs and take-off grants to enable them become self-employed and future employers of labour.
“We believe that when a woman is empowered, the home will be stable. We therefore enjoin all participants to make good use of the opportunity and acquire the skill which they have enrolled for.
“On our part as a Company, we shall continue to solicit for your co-operation and assistance in the maintenance of peace and support for our business growth aspirations, in the interest of the people in your communities and Nigerians.
“Let me reiterate, that NGMC will always encourage and appreciate communities that promote peace, dialogue and understanding in the resolution of any issue. This, indeed, is the hallmark of our community relations engagement process.”
For her part, the Manager, Community Impact Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility Department, Mrs Doris Ohia, who stood in for the Group General Manger, NNPC Public Affairs Division, charged the benefitting women to make judicious use of the Starter Packs they will be presented with at the end of the programme bearing in mind their key role in building the home.
Ohia as a mother in her passionate appeal to the women said, “It is a very good opportunity that NGMC has provided for you all to learn skills that will empower all of you and put food on the tables of your families.
“I advise you all to make proper use of this opportunity, participate actively in the skill you have chosen. Use this opportunity to ensure that next few weeks you will become employers of labour.
“Opportunity comes but once, everything is not money. If they give you one million and you don’t have any skill to make use of it, before you know it the one million is over.
“So, any Starter Pack being given to you, please don’t sell it. If you sell it highest one month that money is over and you go back to square zero..
“The management you are seeing today you may not see them tomorrow. The oil we are all jumping up and down may not continue hence any opportunity given to you by NNPC management should be adequately used for the benefit of yourself and your family,” Ohia emphasized.
The consultant for the women skills acquisition programme and Chief Executive Officer of Dubi Trust Venture, Mr Bernard Emekpe said the skills and knowledge to be developed are expected to provide the fundamental “know-how” that will be sufficient for the participants to build on for present and future applications.
According to him, the training implementation structure will be a combination of knowledge sharing discussions and leads-on practical learning including field experiences.
Emekpe further said, “At the end of the training, participants will have acquired the learning both in theory, attitude and practice for a “can-do” spirit to change their present and future”.
Some of the representatives from the benefitting host communities including the Chairman, Community Relations Committee, Ekapn community, Chief Sunday Edeki, Chairman, Ubeji Community Relations Committee, Honourable Kingsley Tonukarin and the Vice President, Ujewu Community, Mr Freeborn Dazu commended the Nigerian Gas Marketing Company (NGMC) for the laudable gesture and appealed for more of such programmes targeted at uplifting the living standard of members of their host communities.
Some of the benefitting women who spoke, Mrs Gloria Unuane from Ekapn, Prisca Akoma, Ubeji and Augustina Omokhare from Edo State thanked the NGMC for the opportunity and promised to make good use of the skills, starter packs and take-off grants that will be given to them at the end of their three-week training.
Among top staff of NGMC present during the official flag-off of the women skills acquisition programme were the Supervisor, External Relations, Mr Darlington Samuel and the External Relations Officer, Mr Abubakar Yahaya.
