Benue Govt To Sponsor 100 Youths In Fashion Designing

Governor Samuel Ortom stated this when he received a delegation of the Benue Fashion Designers’ Network on a courtesy visit, Ortom’s chief press secretary Nathaniel Ikyur said Wednesday in Makurdi.

The governor said the gesture was to enable them to harness entrepreneurship opportunities in the fashion sector. Governor Ortom urged the network to identify 100 youths, male and female, that they would train under the initiative. According to him, the government of Benue State would bear the cost of the training.

Quoting him, “I believe it will add values to our youths and what you are doing. At the end of the training, the government will also provide the basic equipment so that the trainees can start their respective trades.

“Thank you for making us proud. We look forward to seeing you on the national and international stage with laurels.”

He directed the office of the Head of Service and Ministry of Youth and Sports to liaise with the leadership of the association to identify youths that would benefit from the programme.

He said the fashion industry is a sector with good value chain opportunities for Benue youths and what was expected of them was for them to be industrious and creative to add to their livelihood and the economy.

The governor commended Jamal Mshelia and his team of Benue Designers’ Network for adding values to the state, stating that, “This is what we expect our youths to be doing. The market is huge when it comes to fashion.”

The leader of the delegation, Mr Mshelia, said their visit was to honour Governor Ortom for promoting the Benue culture through Benue unity attire and to inform him of their intention to participate in the forthcoming fashion competition.

He said the governor had continued to play a significant role in the fashion industry in the state, pointing out that he had also demonstrated through his programmes that he was a youth-oriented leader.

The group presented a plaque to the governor as a ‘Fashion Icon’ for his promotion of Benue fabrics.