INTELS donates fashion design shop to WEPSS best graduating student

Nigeria’s oil and gas logistics giant, INTELS Nigeria, has donated a fully furnished and equipped fashion and tailoring shop to Esther Wehere, an indigene of Rivers State.

Wehere emerged as the Best Graduating Student, 2022 Batch ‘B’ of INTELS’ Women Empowerment Project Scheme Synergy (WEPSS).

Managing Director of INTELS Nigeria Limited, Mr Pasquale Fiore, while presenting the keys to the fully equipped and furnished facility recently, said the donation to Wehere is in line with the company’s commitment in empowerment of women in the host communities and beyond.

He said when women are empowered economically, their families and the entire society benefits.

Mr Fiore said in the past 10 years, INTELS has trained about 1,800 women in tailoring and fashion designing under its acclaimed Women Empowerment Project Scheme Synergy (WEPSS) as part of its corporate social responsibility.

He said the company invested substantially in setting up the WEPSS training centre at the Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT), Onne Port, Rivers State, where the women are trained in tailoring and fashion designing in two batches every year.

The vision for establishing WEPSS, according to him, is to train and empower 5,000 community women over a 20-year period.

The INTELS Managing Director said the fashion industry in Nigeria plays an important cultural role and contributes significantly to the country’s economy.

A delighted Esther Wehere, who was accompanied by her family members and community leaders to receive the keys to her new shop, expressed appreciation to INTELS for training her and for donating the fully equipped facility to her.

Wehere said since completing her training at the INTELS’ WEPSS centre, she has set up a fashion designing firm named Esty’s Fashion and created a cloth line known as Red Closet.