By Seyifunmi Odunuga
No fewer than 5,000 young Nigerians across the 33 local government areas in Oyo State are being trained in various vocational skills capable of making them more self-reliant and employers of labour.
The youths who have begun a four-day empowerment programme and tuition-free scholarship are undergoing training in areas such as soap making, fish farming, digital marketing, crop farming, poultry and a host of other viable ventures to ensure they stay positively engaged.
The initiative which is a brainchild of the professionals’ council a foremost support group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeks to tackle poverty amongst her teeming youths as well as reduce unemployment in the country.
The programme which was flagged off on Tuesday 25th October 2022 being held in partnership with the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan is aimed at demonstrating the unwavering commitment of the Professionals Council in mobilizing and empowering youths so as to make them gainfully engaged and self-reliant.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony at Dr K.J. Nwufor Hall, Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Apata, Ibadan, the National Director-General of the Professionals Council, Dr Seyi Bamgbade said the initiative was designed with the cardinal objectives of keying into the federal government plans to move millions of Nigerians out of poverty and raise their standards of living which have continually demonstrated in several ways through various windows such as N-power, trader-monie, farm money and other interventions mapped out by the APC led government for the people.
Dr Bamgbade hinted that this intervention will no doubt reduce the social vices and crimes to the barest minimum if more people are empowered and given access to education through tuition-free scholarships to contribute to the development of the country.
He expressed his appreciation to the management of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology for partnering with the professionals’ council to organize the empowerment programme, adding that the institute has raised the bar in empowerment and education for national development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Oyo State Coordinator of the professionals’ council, Dr Bamidele Gold said the programme was part of the effort by the professionals’ council at addressing the issue of unemployed among Nigerian citizens, especially the youth to get decent job opportunities.
According to him, “the professionals’ council is demonstrating its commitment to mobilizing and empowering the youths through various programmes like this that are meant to create jobs opportunities.
This is in furtherance of our resolve as a support group in keying into the vision of our party, APC, in ensuring that more young Nigerians are granted access to meaningful livelihood in an expansion of democratic dividends.
We are of the firm belief that as professionals in various fields of human endeavour, we can share knowledge in order to help to fight poverty and reduce unemployment among the young ones, especially the graduates.
The experience to be acquired at this training will no doubt play a dominant role in the efforts of the APC-led Federal Government to fight unemployment and reduce poverty.
I want to thank the national body of the professionals’ council for the training opportunity which in the long run made a positive impact on the lives of the participants.
It is on this note that I want to implore the beneficiaries of this training and empowerment to put into good use whatever they will be taught here during the training period.” He said.
Others who spoke at the programme included the Provost of the institute, Mr Adekoya Owosibo.
