The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has stepped in to help the Farya community in Maiduguri to become more self-reliant – especially the women.

en.More than 400 residents went through an entrepreneurial skills training course, at the end of which, on Tuesday, December 21, each person was given 52,500 naira to help upgrade their businesses or to start something new.

About 50% of the women in the community benefited through awareness-raising sessions on basic rights and training in setting up sustainable income-generating activities.

Hajja Fanna Mustapha said the training had helped empower the women, not only in their businesses, but also from the money they received.

“The training included how to plan your business, how to conduct your business, how to make a profit and build your business. As a woman who benefited, I feel empowered and ready to improve my business. I sell snacks. Now that I know more about how to build my business, with a proper plan in place, I feel enlightened and have gained some very helpful knowledge,” she said.

Shettima Mala, a beneficiary, told RNI reporter Musa Shettima that he had gained invaluable knowledge during the training sessions, including about packaging and branding a business.

“I am hoping to start a new business. I had never heard of having a proper business plan, with aims and goals in place that will help me succeed. The training centred on small-scale businesses and included everything from tailoring to cattle rearing.”

Mala said: “The money we received will give us impetus to help us make a go of our businesses and hopefully we will continue to grow. By growing our businesses, we will be able to give work to others less fortunate. I urge all the others who attended the training to use the money wisely as we were advised during the training. By becoming independent and self-reliant we will reduce the hardships that affect all of us.”

Modu Kura Shettima said: “The training taught us many different skills, such as business selection, planning and management. We were given start-up money, to be used either in a new venture or to grow the businesses we already run. I am particularly interested in cattle rearing and trading in the market. With this training and the money I am hoping to become very successful.”

• The NRC has been working in northeast Nigeria since 2015. It works with livelihoods and food security, information, counselling and legal assistance, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, and camp/out-of-camp coordination and management. It also deploys emergency relief through the rapid response mechanism. Its country office is in Maiduguri.