Skill Acquisition Training for Women

The positive outcomes and strong community reception of the first phase of the women's skill acquisition training programme in the Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State led the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to commission Blue Sea Services Limited for a second phase of the programme just two months later. This Phase II engagement expanded the reach of the vocational empowerment initiative to include a new cohort of women in the constituency who had not participated in Phase I, ensuring that the benefits of the programme were distributed as widely as possible across the community. Blue Sea Services Limited refined and enhanced the training delivery model based on lessons learned from Phase I, incorporating improved training materials, more experienced instructors in high-demand vocational areas, and extended hands-on practice sessions to ensure that participants achieved a higher level of practical competency before graduation. The vocational skills covered in Phase II included tailoring, tie-and-dye fabric production, catering and food processing, and basic business management and financial literacy — skills specifically selected for their relevance to economic opportunities available to women in the Igabi Federal Constituency's semi-urban and rural market environment. Each participant received a comprehensive starter kit of tools and materials relevant to their chosen trade at the end of the programme, providing them with the immediate means to begin practicing and monetizing their newly acquired skills. Blue Sea Services Limited also organized post-training follow-up sessions to track the progress of participants and provide additional guidance to those establishing their small businesses. The combined impact of both phases of this women's empowerment programme represents a significant and lasting contribution to gender-inclusive development in Kaduna State's border communities.