How CICMED, Angbazo Legacy Are Giving Widows, Vulnerable Nigerians A Chance

A non-governmental organisation, Community Initiative for Character Moulding and Entrepreneurship Development (CICMED), and the Angbazo Legacy Foundation promised on Thursday to empower youths, widows, and other vulnerable Nigerians through skill acquisition and entrepreneurship.

The organisations, which announced their intentions at a training workshop co-organized by the Community Initiative for Character Moulding and Entrepreneurship Development and the Angbazo Legacy Foundation, stated that their decision to engage in training and empowerment skills was to alleviate the hardship that Nigerians were experiencing.

The Bala and Ladi Angbazo Legacy Foundation (BLALF) supported the training, which had over 100 participants from Nasarawa, Kogi Plateau States, and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.

The Future Planters Entrepreneurship Boot Camp 2024, a three-day training workshop held in Akwanga, addressed a variety of topics.

Speaking at the event, Hon Kefas Tigga, Executive Director of CICMED, explained that the training’s goal was to provide participants with the necessary knowledge to address the challenges of unemployment, hardship, restiveness, and other voices confronting Nigerians, particularly youth, women, and other vulnerable Nigerians in the country.

According to Hon. Kefas, CICMED has been running various entrepreneurship programs since 2019, when the organisation was founded to facilitate and support community participation and engagement of youth and women.

He also stated that the group was seeking social justice to ensure the inclusion of youths and women in decision-making processes based on their ability to contribute to the system.

“To achieve effective results, we designed several enriching programmes, clusters of events, and services based on community interest and needs, as well as advocacy methodology.

“All of these are geared towards stimulating greater investments and promoting entrepreneurship as an option for the participants to become self-sufficient,” Kefas declared.

The CICMED Executive Director also stated that the organisation would provide soft loans to entrepreneurs and establish a strong network of experts to help them succeed.

Major General Nuhu Angbazo rtd, Director of the Bala and Ladi Angbazo Legacy Foundation, stated during a presentation on ‘leadership challenges, the role of the youth’ in entrepreneurship development that knowledge and the right mindset are the most important resources required to succeed.

According to General Angbazo, an entrepreneur can only succeed if he or she is dedicated and hard-working, and has the necessary knowledge and mindset.

He urged the youth to develop economically by taking on leadership roles with a clear vision and motivation, stating that the only way they can benefit society and themselves is to stand up to the country’s current economic and social challenges.

General Angbazo, one of the CICMED project’s lead partners, emphasised the importance of dedication, hard work, resilience, and adopting a never-give-up attitude as a life principle if they are to succeed.

He announced that the Angbazo Foundation is ready to collaborate with CICMED to help widows and other vulnerable groups in society alleviate their suffering.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, represented by the desk officer in the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Investment, Offing Esien Offing, stated that the Nasarawa State government, aware of the country’s current economic crisis, is implementing several skill acquisition programmes for the state’s youth and other vulnerable people.

Governor Sule challenged the youths in the state to key into the state government programs, challenge the youths to take advantage of the abundant opportunities in the state to develop themselves, even as the government was doing everything to equip the youths with the necessary skills in the state.

While congratulating the organisers on their knowledge of state government policies and programs, another governor challenges the youths and other participants to take advantage of the training in order to become self-sufficient and useful members of society and their communities.

The training included the presentation of papers by experts on a variety of topics, including leadership skills.