By Mubarak Aliyu kobi
The Arewa Cohesion for Peace, Unity, and Development Initiative has successfully graduated 200 women who completed its skills acquisition program in Bauchi Local Government, Bauchi State.
The graduation ceremony, h
eld today at Prestige International School, Gida Dubu, marked the end of weeks of intensive training designed to empower women with practical skills for self-reliance and economic independence.
Speaking at the event, the Bauchi State Coordinator of the Initiative, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim Akuyam (Maitaman Misau), expressed his delight at the successful completion of the program.
He noted that the beneficiaries, trained in two batches of 100 women each, had acquired valuable skills such as the production of air freshener, liquid soap, milk candy, local ready-to-use food, and “Turaren wuta” (fire perfume).
He emphasized that the initiative’s mission goes beyond training, as it is also aimed at promoting peace, unity, and development in the region.
Akuyam commended the commitment of the women throughout the training period and urged them to put their newly acquired knowledge into practice.
“We believe that when a woman is empowered, an entire society is uplifted. These graduates now have the opportunity to improve their lives and contribute to sustainable peace and economic growth in their communities,” he stated.
In her remarks, the Bauchi State Women Leader, Hajiya Sa’adatu Aminu Yahaya, congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to maximize the opportunity by starting small businesses that could eventually grow into larger enterprises.
She stressed that the initiative was a neutral and inclusive effort to improve livelihoods across the North, and called on the graduates to also train others within their communities.
The program, which was implemented in partnership with Antanzil and Prestige International Schools, was hailed as a model of collaboration for grassroots empowerment.
Representatives of the partner institutions reaffirmed their readiness to continue working with the Arewa Cohesion Initiative in future interventions targeted at youth and women.
Some of the graduates, who spoke at the ceremony, expressed their gratitude to the organizers for equipping them with life-changing skills.
They pledged to use the knowledge gained to improve their families’ economic conditions and to support peace and development efforts in their communities.