The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) says it has trained no fewer than 330 rural women and youths across six states on tourism and hospitality occupational trades.
Its Director-General, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said that the empowerment programmes were on baking, pastries making, tailoring, duvet making and tour guiding skills.
Kangiwa said these were done in Aiyetoro in Ogun; Lafia, Nasarawa state; Makurdi in Benue state; Argungu in Kebbi state; Bauchi and Enugu.
He said that the programme tagged Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) was an innovation created by NIHOTOUR to reskill and upskill women and youths to be financially self reliant and independent.
“From August 2 to 30, we were able to empower 80 women and youths in Ayetoro, 150 in Lafia, 25 each in Enugu, Makurdi, Bauchi and Argungu.
“In the coming weeks, NIHOTOUR STEP Train-the-Trainers intervention will be held again for indigent and rural women and youths in Argungu, Kebbi State and in Abuja,” he said.
Kangiwa disclosed that in December 2022, NIHOTOUR’s STEP trained 400 women and youths in 10 states on various hospitality and tourism trade-skills including throw-pillows, duvet making, soap making and other related antiseptics He said on completion of the training, trainees were given relevant business starter-packs and financial support, to begin their trade in the industry.