Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, has empowered more than 160 market women across the district in a fresh intervention aimed at strengthening small businesses, improving livelihoods and promoting economic self reliance.
The initiative, organised by the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, in collaboration with Aqil Transnational Ltd., ended on Saturday, October 3, 2026, after a two day capacity building programme facilitated by the Senator.
The training was designed to equip the beneficiaries with practical knowledge, modern skills and improved strategies for managing and expanding their businesses.
The first phase of the programme was held at Hotel 45 Hall in Ikom Local Government Area, while the second phase took place at Ugep in Yakurr Local Government Area.
As part of the intervention, each of the more than 160 participating women was approved to receive N100,000 in financial support to strengthen their businesses and improve their economic wellbeing.
Certificates of participation were also presented to the beneficiaries at the conclusion of the training.
Speaking on behalf of Senator Eteng, his Liaison Officer, Mr Ikoi Uket, popularly known as Ben Bruce, said the Senator remained committed to improving the socioeconomic wellbeing of his constituents through effective legislation, human capital development and empowerment initiatives.
Uket said the Senator had, over the past three years, worked to deliver dividends of democracy beyond his core legislative responsibilities.
“Over the last three years, Senator Eteng Williams has dutifully delivered the dividends of democracy in several areas and on multiple fronts, not just in the primary mandate of law making, but also in terms of life changing empowerment and endowment,” he said.
According to Uket, Senator Eteng regarded capacity building and financial support for small businesses as critical measures for tackling poverty and unemployment across the senatorial district.
He also called on the beneficiaries and other constituents to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the programme was consistent with efforts to build a stronger and more productive economy.
“I wish to remind us again that President Tinubu’s administration is doing a lot to build a resilient economy that will provide better and sustainable opportunities for all Nigerians. Reforms can be painful and difficult, but with patience, persistence and hard work, the gains will definitely come in bounties,” he said.
The latest intervention adds to Senator Eteng’s efforts to promote women empowerment and support small scale enterprises across Cross River Central.
In 2024, he implemented a poultry empowerment programme for women interested in establishing or expanding poultry businesses. Beneficiaries received practical training, start up birds, feeds and financial assistance to establish their enterprises.
The Senator has consistently maintained that sustainable development should extend beyond physical infrastructure, stressing the importance of investing in people, strengthening livelihoods and creating opportunities for constituents to become economically self reliant.
Some beneficiaries who spoke with journalists at the training venue expressed appreciation to the Senator, describing the initiative as timely and beneficial.
They called on other elected representatives to emulate the programme by investing more in human capital development and supporting small businesses within their constituencies.
The latest empowerment programme further reflects Senator Eteng Williams’ stated commitment to translating his representation into tangible improvements in the livelihoods and economic wellbeing of the people of Cross River Central.I can also make the headline more punchy and newspaper-like, for example: “Eteng Lifts 160 Market Women in C’River Central”.
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