Lagos — The First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar'Adua has said that wealth creation and alleviation of poverty in the country can only be achieved by empowerment of women and youths through entrepreneurial and skill acquisition.

She spoke at the formal launch and unveiling of the Hausa entrepreneurship development book/project- "Mu Koyi Sana'a", an initiative in print jointly sponsored by the African Business Roundtable (ABR), Ariebp Nig. Ltd and Leaders and Enterpreneurs Advanced Development (LEAD) at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

The First Lady, who was represented at the occasion by the wife of the Vice President, Dame Patience Jonathan, underscored the imperatives to provide economic empowerment to the country's large women and youth population, noting that majority of them lack necessary and basic education and financial resources to turn around their fortunes. Justifying this position, she stated that millions of young men and women in rural and urban areas aspire to become entrepreneurs to better their lives and stimulate the socio-economic development of their communities.

In commending the "Mu Koyi Sana'a" initiative which resulted in the production of a Hausa entrepreneurship manual, the First Lady observed that it will assist in educating, coaching and mentoring "our women and youth to improve their capacity to start up and run micro and small businesses." She thus praised the vision of the author as well as their corporate partners who share in her dream of empowering women and youth of Nigeria through her pet project- WAYEF.

Chairman at the occasion, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, who is also the Chairman of African Business Roundtable and NEPAD Business Group, emphasised the importance of small and medium scale enterprises to the development of a nation's economy, stressing that it is only through this sector that Nigeria can spur the growth of the real sectors and stimulate self employment that will guarantee decent income for the teeming masses.

He envisioned that creating enough jobs for the large population of unemployed women and youth was an enormous task which can be achievable through a concerted public- private sector partnership initiative.

Speaking earlier at the occasion, the initiator and author of the Manual, Hajia Hassana Beeka, informed that the ultimate goal of the entrepreneurship manual was to stimulate the growth of entrepreneurship among women and youth in Northern Nigeria who form a large chunk of the informal sector.

Many dignitaries at the occasion which included the book reviewer, Engr. Mansur Ahmed, Director-General of the Infrastructural Regulatory Concession Commission, Alhaji Abdulkadir Dantata of Dantata & Sawoe and representative of Alhaji Ahmadu Chanchangi all lauded the "Mu Koyi Sana'a" initiative and commended the book as an essential reading manual not only to entrepreneurs in the north but to all Nigerians.