The Adamawa State Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA), says it will enroll interested journalists in its entrepreneurship skills training.
The Head of the Agency, Hajiya Aishatu Bello, made this known in Yola, on Wednesday, when she received the state’s executives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), who paid her a courtesy visit.
Bello said the training would expose the journalists to various productive ventures, even after retirement from service.
“The skills, when acquired and implemented, would among other things augment the take home pay as civil and public servants.
“The training would comprise of all journalists, working in both the public and private sector, to make them more creative, inventive and productive.”
According to her, PAWECA has trained thousands of Adamawa indigents on various vocational skills including; Cosmetology, Bead making, Bakery, Tailoring, Salon and other relevant vocations.
“We selected the trainees across the 226 existing electoral wards after applying through our portal,” she said.
Bello said the agency would soon re-open its portal for potential trainees to apply for the trainings, which were held across eight designated skills acquisition centers in the state.
She said that Adamawa State Government had been proactive in facilitating all its training programs, with emphasis on value re-orientation.
“The need to empower journalists is paramount, considering their critical role in nurturing democracy,” she said.
Speaking earlier, Mr Ishaka Dedan, the NUJ Chairman, Adamawa Council, assured the agency of regular, effective and efficient media coverage of its activities.
Dedan commended the agency for its leading role in eradicating poverty through wealth creation, which had empowered thousands of indigents to be productive and independent.
The NUJ chairman, also assured PAWECA that the journalists would key into the training, saying the skills would boost the capacity of journalists in the discharge of their duties as watch dogs of the society.