PRESS STATEMENT

I want to welcome you all to the closing ceremony of ICT & Mechatronics Training for Female Technicians & ICT Training for Persons with Disabilities
I want to start by commending all the participants for the effort,you all put in, especially Persons with Disabilities, to make this ICT Trainingprogram a success. It affirms that; indeed “There is ability in disability” andgiven the right resources, we can do greater things together.   The Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (NCWD)is a Federal Government Institution established in 1992 and it is the only parastatal under theFederal Ministry of Women Affairs. Training and Economic Empowerment of Women are critical to therealization of the mission of the center, as our focus is to improve the livesof women, especially those in the rural areas through sustainable development programs, so they can become productive and self-reliant. 
In pursuance of this mission, the Center:-Develops and provides systematic and sustained training on Information & Communication Technology Vocational Courses and c) Artisanal Trades in the area of Plumbing works, Generator Repairs, Refrigerator and Air condition repairs,Tiling and masonry work, painting/POP works to enhance the capacities andeconomic status of women.   The center also undertakes and coordinates research andcomparative studies on gender mainstreaming and women empowerment issues This ICT training program, has a total of Eighty (80) participants,consisting of Forty (40) Female Technicians who undertook various courses ICT& Mechatronics and Forty (40) Persons with various forms of Disabilities who were exposed to various ICT and assistive tools and techniques. The ICT program, which is designed with the theme – ‘promoting genderequality and inclusiveness through digital skills and innovations’, aims to providedigital skills that will make the participants enhance their social, cultural,political and economic integration and to become self-reliant and productive. 
As you all know, one of the core targets of SDG 5 is the use of ICT to promote the empowerment of women. Since inception, we have trained tens of thousands of Nigerian on our in-person and online platforms and from 2015 till date; we have provided about two thousand brand new laptops and ICT equipments to female participants all over the country.  NCWD is also committed to the implementation of the Plan of Actionadopted by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which includestwo important areas for persons with disabilities, namely access to informationand knowledge and capacity building. Each year, we continue to train and empower persons with disabilities and foster the effective use of ICTs that areaccessible, adaptive and affordable.  Information Communication Technology (ICT) has now been recognized as the driving force and primary gadget for almost all progressive knowledge-based and skills-oriented development activities and initiatives in all spheres of human endeavor.  It is no surprise then, that ICT is the catalyst for the realization of Mr President’s Eight (8) Point agenda whichare - food security; poverty eradication; growth, job creation; access to capital; inclusion; rule of law;and fighting corruption.  As a parastatal, we will continue to encourage the youth and women, who form more that 70% of the nation’s population, to harness the power of ICT, so they can substantively participate in and benefit from information revolution taking place across the country. 
I want to specifically thank President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (GCFR) for his inclusive initiative aimed at ensuring that no one is left out in the scheme of things and his desire to ensure that women take advantage of Information & Communication Technology to improve their well-being.  I urge you all to practice what you have learnt and to share the knowledge gained with other women in your community. Apart from the digital skills acquired, we will provide brand-new Tablets with power bank, Certificate of Participation and stipend for transportation to all the participants. It is our hope that the Tablets given to you will be put to best use.  We will continue to support and track the progress of all the participants to ensure they succeed in their chosen fields. I wish you well in all your chosen endeavors.
Thank you and God Bless.
Hon. (Dr.) Asabe Vilita Bashir.
Director General/CEO Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Abuja