42 PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY DELEGATES JOIN NIGERIA’S FASHION INDUSTRY: AS GEN. BOROH ASSURES BENEFICIARIES OF EMPOWERMENT PACKAGE

42 PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY DELEGATES JOIN NIGERIA’S FASHION INDUSTRY: AS GEN. BOROH ASSURES BENEFICIARIES OF EMPOWERMENT PACKAGE

The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brig-General Paul Boroh (Rtd) has again reiterated the commitment of the Amnesty office towards human capacity development of youths in the Niger Delta region, particularly the 30, 000 ex-agitators captured under the Presidential Amnesty Programme through the ongoing vocational empowerment scheme of beneficiaries of the programme.

Gen. Boroh, represented by the head of Presidential Amnesty Vocational Training Centre in Kaiama, Bayelsa state, Mr Jude Gbaboyor, who gave the assurance at the graduation of another batch of 42 delegates in fashion design, tailoring and leather works in Lagos over the weekend, noted that Africa’s economy has continued growing rapidly, riding on the back of success recorded in some sectors and rebirth of others like manufacturing, which has now beamed light on the importance of the continent’s fashion industry and the immense opportunities inherent therein.

He said, all over the world today cities are increasingly using fashion to promote their cultural industries for the development of tourism and other industries to boost economic fortunes of communities in a bid to diversify their economies, with a view to positioning themselves in the global hospitality and tourism market.

According to the Amnesty boss, shopping has become a motive to travel and is now a major tourist activity, tourists increasingly choosing shopping as a way to experience local culture through engagement with local products and local crafts people, just as some destinations provide special tourist shopping activities for tourists to shop for goods while vacation.

He maintained that fashion as a niche market segment within shopping tourism, the economic importance of fashion tourism cannot be under-estimated, pointing that the Presidential Amnesty Programme has trained and empowered many delegates in fashion design, tailoring and leathers works as part of efforts towards meaningfully engaging the beneficiaries in line with ongoing reintegration process of ex-agitators in the Niger Delta region.

Gen. urged the beneficiaries to grab the opportunity with all seriousness to make positive impact on the local economy, saying that, “The recently launched Bisector designer shopping village, an hour’s train journey out of London is now the third largest shopping destination in the UK after Harrods and Selfridges”

Also speaking, a former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Chief Kentebe Amagbe urged the graduands to use their skills to help others in the communities, adding that through reaching out others with their vocation, they would impacted positively on the society as good ambassadors of the Amnesty programme.

He maintained that by plying their trade wisely wherever they find themselves as responsible chief executives of their own business outfits, the effect of the Presidential Amnesty Programme would have touched families through the various trainings over the years.

In his remark, executive director of Ijaw Monitoring Group, Chief Evah enjoined the beneficiaries to be focused on their the trades as they go out into the labour market, saying that with commitment, diligence and dedication to the various vocations, they would certainly excel and become employers of labour in the future, just he thanked President Muhamandu Buhari for sustaining the programme.

Earlier, the executive director Fussy Fashion Institute and Chief Executive Officer of Zutilitam Consult Ltd, Mrs Enetimi Evah Bunuzigha explained that the delegates were trained in tailoring/fashion design, leather works, shoe, bags, beats, making, including jewelries and accessories, saying that her firm has provides sewing machines for each of the 42 trained delegates from the Amnesty Programme as her company’s contribution to the Amnesty empowerment scheme, pending the official empowerment from the Presidential Amnesty Office.

She expressed deep appreciation to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Gen. Boroh for his passion and commitment to the ongoing youth empowerment scheme for beneficiaries of the Amnesty programme, informing the delegates were taken through courses on entrepreneurship, book keeping and accounting to enable them manage their own businesses.

Speaking on behalf of the his colleagues, Mr. Malaghe Joyful, from Ezetu community in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state, who was the overall best in leather works during the three months training thanked the federal government for giving him and his colleagues to under vocational empowerment, just as he promised to make good use of the skills he has learnt at the training.

High point of the event was a colourful fashion parade by the graduands and presentation of certificates, awards and donation of different empowerment tools from individuals and corporate organizations.

Facts Compiled/Written By Gbaboyor Jude & Piriye Kiyaramo

For Head and Communication Desk, Presidential Amnesty Office

19th November 2017