DELTA ENTREPRENEUR URGES SKILL ACQUISITION FOR WOMEN

A popular entrepreneur and founder of Sophie’s Treat Trove, Mrs. Sophia Otemabor Lawrence, has advised unemployed young women in Niger Delta region to embrace vocational skills and entrepreneurship as “sustainable paths to financial independence and personal growth”.

She gave the admonition in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, at an interactive session with young girls and women drawn from various communities in the region.

Lawrence, a frontline event planner, decried what she tagged “the increasing number of young women who depend solely on men for survival”, insisting that “women have important roles to play in society and should strive to become self-reliant and economically empowered.”

She noted that financially independent women are better positioned to support their families and contribute meaningfully to building stable homes”.

She said women should not wait for their spouses before meeting the needs of their children.

Sharing her personal journey, Lawrence told the gathering that she started from humble beginnings, and encouraged young women to pursue legitimate means of livelihood rather than shortcuts that could damage their future.

Specifically, she described prostitution as “a temporary solution with long-term negative consequences, Education remains one of the most reliable routes to success”.

She further advised girls who may not have the opportunity for formal education to acquire vocational skills such as hairdressing, fashion designing, baking, makeup artistry, and event decoration.

Lawrence urged them to avoid social vices, remain focused on self-development, and embrace entrepreneurship, stressing that knowledge, skills, and hard work are the keys to a brighter and secure future.