Featured

Entrepreneur:Council boss finance 125 creative hands,tackles unemployment

Published

7 years ago

February 16, 2018

Spread The News

In an attempt to bolster the economic well-being of Ifako Ijaiye residents and most especially the many unemployed youths, the council boss Apostle Oloruntoba Oke has empowered 125 newly graduating youths from the one week skill acquisition training to be self reliant.

Oke while giving out start-up equipments to the beneficiaries charged them to task their ingenuity and creative abilities so as to distinct the council amidst it peers.

He noted that the uniqueness of skill acquisition is ingrained in the unprecedented initiative explored in the area of sale of PHCN utility payment scheme, a novel concept.

According to the council boss, the edge this set of beneficiaries have above the 1,500 in time past is that they are given equipments to get started immediately after graduation.

“There is no white collar job anywhere out there, we know it is very difficult to get jobs but for some of you might need to look for jobs elsewhere,seeing some of the products from your training sessions,we would also help to get market for some of products.

“I once said during Ifako Ijaiye cultural week celebration that Nigeria as a country should begin to train her youths to be self employed.

“Contrary to insinuations making the rounds Nigeria has faired better economically since the beginning of Buhari’s administration especially following the restriction of 42 items back them, this has helped in increasing our foreign reserve from $25bn to $42bn,the country is moving forward for good.

“We have resolved in our council to do the empowerment ones in every three months, as many of our jobless youths would be gainfully skilled, I employ you to be creative,doing things differently to distinct our local government.

“The beneficiaries are expected to hit the ground running having been given the needed equipment and to financial grant to start up bead making and Ankara craft works,these will help reduce unemployment.

“We plan to widen the scope by bringing in more programmes to enrich it, by the end of this year’s, we would have gotten to a stage that we would be able to establish cottage Industry for many of the young entrepreneurs here would be given space to show case their wares. Said Apostle Toba.

The instructor of the Ankara Craft Miss Vivian Achom noted that determination comes first in ensuring excellence in the creative endeavour.

“If you learn an handwork you are better off as your personal economy is aided, I urge all the graduating individuals to go further by practicing what they have learnt to be better at it, don’t stop, when you learn you also make profit.

Vivian also noted that,”the most challenging aspect of the activity is getting your desired shapes.

A beneficiary in the Ankara craft work, Miss Ali Morenikeji Toyosi expressed her sincere gratitude for the council’s Initiative to empower unemployed youths.

“The programme was thorough and I have learnt so much, it was beneficial to me because before now I was idle, now it keeps me busy and the various products can sell themselves, the bags, purse, slippers,bow ties,photo book made with local fabrics I and all that.

” I want youths out there to know that no knowledge is wasted, see what we have been able to put together in one week

25 individuals empowered through the PHCN Utility Payment scheme, were handed equipments and guarded into the nitty-gritty of the technical know-how of the configuration and functionality of the gadget by the lead consultant from Vatebra limited, Mr. Kehinde Adeniyi after which, the beneficiaries would be helping to reduce the stress of paying bills at the service points of PHCN most times far away from residential locations.

Adeniyi noted that they would benefit within short time, if they were not lazy and judiciously plough back their gains for better increase and credit accumulation.

He noted that the equipment needed for a start-up are, Proto printer, Android phone with enough data and minimum money in their electronic wallet as initial capital.