UNESCO, FCT to train 50,000 women

The Director, FCT-Agency for Mass Education,
Alhaji Musa Yakubu, said on Saturday in
Abuja that UNESCO had arranged to train
50,000 women on literacy and different skills
acquisition by June.
Yakubu told the News Agency of Nigeria that
the training would cover the FCT and Rivers.
According to him, the training will be
organised by UNESCO in collaboration with
and agency and its Rivers’ counterpart.
“The training, which will last for three years,
is a pilot programme. It will commence in
Abuja and Rivers by June. They will learn
through the use of radio and television.
“They will teach them on how to read and
write through the ICT. 20,000 women will be
trained in the first year, 10, 000 for FCT and
10,000 for Rivers.
“They will not only be taught how to read and
write, they will also be taught some basic
skills such as catering services, tailoring and
soap making, among others.”
The director said that UNESCO would provide
instructional materials for the programme,
which would be coordinated by Procter and
Gamble (P and G), makers of sanitary pads.
“P and G is handling the programme because
most of its products, such as sanitary pads,
are being used by our women and girls. They
want to empower them. I think it is like
payback time.”
He said on its part, the agency would create
awareness, provide facilitators and arrange
for the venue of the programme.
“We have trained some facilitators already.
UNESCO is not giving us money. They will
support the training, facilitators and learners
with instructional materials.
“The project started in Dakar, Senegal, and it
was successful. That is why they want to
replicate it in Nigeria.”
He said the agency, with 582 centres in the
six area councils, had the mandate to provide
literacy to those that did not have the
opportunity to access formal education in
earlier in life.
“Our mandate is to make sure that every adult
is literate, including the youths that are out
of school,” he added.