The Customs Officers’ Wives Association (COWA) celebrated a historic milestone on Thursday with the graduation of the first cohort from its Skills Acquisition Centre in Karu, Abuja.
The event marked the culmination of intensive vocational training for 100 women, all wives of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) personnel.
The graduation ceremony was held in a festive atmosphere, with guests welcomed to an exhibition of the trainees’ work, including products from training in ICT, tailoring, hairdressing, adire making, catering, makeup, bag and bedding design, and more.
In her welcome remarks, Mrs. Jane Itotoh highlighted the programme’s role in promoting self-reliance among women and building resilient families. Graduates shared emotional testimonies about their journeys through the training, celebrating their transformation and new skills.
Delivering the keynote address, COWA President Mrs. Kikelomo Adeniyi expressed pride in the trainees and reaffirmed the association’s mission to empower women economically. “Today marks the fulfilment of a noble vision and the beginning of new possibilities,” she said. She also announced that each graduate would receive a full starter kit to help establish small-scale businesses immediately.
Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, commended COWA for its forward-thinking initiative and assured the graduates of the NCS’s support. “We will patronise the products and services of these women. In addition, the Service will provide a generator for the Centre to ensure uninterrupted training,” he pledged.
The event drew representatives from several women-focused organisations, including the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), Police Officers’ Wives Association (POWA), Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).