t HE Kano State government recently indicated that it would recruit 1,000 female holders of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) to teach in public primary schools across the state.
The state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, reportedly made the announcement during a graduation ceremony for women who were trained in various skills acquisition programmes.
As if to emphasise the seriousness of the governor’s resolve, females with such qualification were asked to submit their credentials to their respective local governments of origin for authentication.
I would like to say that this is a very good move by the Kano State government. Over time, Nigerians have been debating and commenting on the issue of women’s empowerment. It would seem that by its latest action, the Kano State government has set a pace for other states.
Without doubt, the opportunity given to women in Kano State would help them to live better lives and make them more significant to their husbands and families, rather than being left at home to do house chores and take care of their children, without having anything else to do.
I would, however, also like to say that this opportunity should not be given to the women alone, but should be extended to the young men in Kano State. Giving appointments to only female NCE holders while their male counterparts are roaming the streets will not be in the best interest of the state.
If you employ only women, their unemployed husbands would simply wait till the end of the month to collect the money from them. Domestic crisis can only result therefrom.
This point is especially important when we consider the fact that some of the jobless male NCE holders in the state may be married. So, how are they expected to cater for their families and live good lives when they remain unemployed?
The male NCE holders should also be trained and recruited.
They should not be left to hawk goods and engage in farming alone; they should also be engaged in skills acquisition so that they can lead better lives and be significant to their society.
Faith Adeniyi,
Ilorin,
Kwara State.