Over 150 students have graduated from the 13 week Lagos Youth Skill Acquisition and Empowerment programme, organised by a former gubernatorial candidate of the PPN and Asiwaju Omo Oodua in the U.S.A, Asiwaju Owolabi Salis, through Forecast Partners Ltd, in partnership with the dynamic Ikorodu Oga development association, (IKODASS) on Thursday, 19th April, 2019.
According to Otunba Ganiyu Olusegun Abiru, over 150 candidates registered for the skill acquisition training out of which some dropped along the way.
Abiru, in his speech charged well-meaning Ikorodu indigenes to emulate Asiwaju Owolabi Salis philanthropist gestures, by giving back to the community from their personal wealth. Abiru further stressed that, when the poor are awake, the rich cannot sleep.
In his brief remarks at the event, Director-General of the Lagos Youth vocational skills and empowerment programme, revealed that the training programme, which was initiated on October 2017 graduated its first set of grandaunts in April 2018. He added that the training programme was held simultaneously in 27 different locations across Lagos State.
Some of the departments where participants were trained include, fashion designing, make up, building and road construction, snail farming, photography, etc.
Sponsor of the training programme, Asiwaju Owolabi Salis revealed that about 1, 680 participants graduated from Ajeromi-Ifelodun and about 600 graduated from the Somolu centres respectively. He thereafter, charged IKODASS to brace up and mobilise not less than 1,000 participants to attend the next batch of the training in May, as a way of giving opportunity to more youths to benefit from the programme.
Salis further added that he has also introduced a new health training dubbed, African Traditions Health in his private facility in Gbagada, where participants are being trained in the arts of African health services.
Earlier, Azeez Olusugbo, Ikorodu liaison officer for the Lagos state employment trust fund, LSETF admonished the graduants to go beyond acquiring the skill, by setting up businesses that would be of economic benefit to the society. He also assured them of a N250,000 grants from Lagos state government in order to assist them set up their own businesses.
