No fewer than 5,000 young Nigerians across the 33 local government areas in Oyo State have benefitted from the empowerment programme initiated by a support group of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professionals Council in Oyo State.
The beneficiaries, who are primarily women and youth, participated in a four-day empowerment and tuition-free scholarship programme that ran from Tuesday, 25th October to Friday, 28th October 2022, wherein they underwent training in areas such as soap making, fish farming, digital marketing, crop farming, poultry and a host of other viable ventures, while those who desired to go to higher institutions were given admission letters to run a tuition-free programme at University or Polytechnic to achieve their academic ambitions.
The initiative, the professional council’s brainchild, a foremost APC support group, was in partnership with the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan.
Speaking at the ceremony, 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’s plans to move millions of Nigerians out of poverty and raise their standards of living, which have been continually demonstrated in several ways through various windows such as N-Power, Trader Moni, Farm Money and other interventions mapped out by the APC-led government for the people.
Dr Bamgbade hinted that this intervention will undoubtedly reduce 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 country’s development.
He expressed his appreciation to the management of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology for enabling the group to achieve its assignment of training and empowering unemployed Nigerians, especially the youth.
In his remark, the Oyo State Coordinator of the professional council, Dr Bamidele Gold, expressed happiness for the smooth running and hitch-free exercise, which he said has impacted the beneficiaries who participated during the training sessions.
Dr Gold thanked the national body of the professional council for the empowerment opportunity it gave to unemployed youth in Oyo State. This opportunity allowed the participants to gain new skills and secure admissions to higher learning institutions.
In their goodwill messages, the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Barrister Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, Candidate for Ido/Ibarapa Federal Constituency, Engr Remi Oseni, member of the Federal House of Representatives from Ibadan North constituency, Prince Olaide Akinremi Jagaban, who was represented by Hon. Ojo Jimoh, Hon. Kunle Kareem from the Akinyele local government; and Hon. Mrs Tairat Adeyemi lauded the initiative of the APC Professionals Council geared towards reducing the number of unemployed youths and eradicating poverty in society.
They urged the beneficiaries to use the interest-free loan, a start-up grant, to pay for their learning.
The ceremony’s highlight was the presentation of admission letters to all the students offered scholarships. Certificates of participation were also given to others who participated in the skills acquisition programme.
Some of the beneficiaries of the scholarship award were Jimoh Sodeeq Ayinde, Tajudeen Faidat Agbeke, Aderogba Segun Stephen, Oye Samuel Oluwabunmi and Adetuluse Praise Temilade.
