.....N130million start-up fund
By Oladunni Adeniyi
No fewer than 3,500 people have benefited from skills acquisition programme, organized by the Ogun West Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola.
Handing over equipment to the beneficiaries at Asade Agunloye Modern Pavilion, Empire Field, Ilaro, Senator Adeola said the intention of the empowerment programme was to take the people out of poverty.
He said the empowerment programme would also make the beneficiaries to be self-reliant, stressing that, the target was for gainful employment for youths and women, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliations in Ogun West.
Senator Adeola noted that, as a legislator of over 19 years at state and federal levels, giving requisite skills and empowering youths and women to establish them in gainful self-employment was paramount importance of his core values.
"Today, in conjunction with Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Technology and National Productive Centre, Abuja, a total number of 3500 trained participants in their preferred vocations were empowered with equipment and in addition a total sum of N130 million as startup funds"
“In our present situation, in addition to good education, skills of various kinds are advantageous in generating income and combating rising unemployment and under-employment. Towards this end, many trainings for skill acquisition, entrepreneurship development and ICT as well as empowerment with equipment are ways that I achieve effective representation. To the glory of God, tens of thousands have benefited from these programmes facilitated by me and God willing, with your support and mandate, many more thousands will benefit when I become your representative next year".
“Basically, I’m teaching my people how to fish rather than give them fish. As you can see, this is the first time I’m doing the programme myself. It is all about training and retraining my people with various vocational trainings and empowering them with necessary tools for them to be self-employed.”
"This is a demonstration of what lies ahead for my people when I eventually become their representative at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly".
Speaking on the selection process of the beneficiaries, Adeola said, "beneficiaries of these training programme and empowerment were selected devoid of any partisan considerations. Public announcements on mainstream and social media were made for interested applicants to apply and selection was based on the indicated interests of participants on a first come, first serve basis. We also ensured that there was even spread across all the five local government areas of Ogun West based on indication of interest by participants".
He enjoined the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme to diligently apply the skills learnt in the course of their training for the socio-economic advancement of themselves and the advancement in the society at large.
"Please shun the temptation of selling empowerment equipment for quick cash that will not multiply".
The donated start up kits include, Standing Hairdryer, Standing Hair Washing Basin and Startup fund, Sewing Machine and Startup Fund, Leather Sewing Machine and Seed Fund, Professional Make Up Kit and Seed Fund.
Others are: Cooking Gas Cylinder, Double face Gas Burner, Sets of pots, cooking utensils and Startup Fund, while Startup Fund was given to some participants in fish production to start their Fishery Business.
Other participants were given a start up fund in interior decoration/event planning, Agric Value Chain, and Solar Energy Business.
Senator Adeola therefore, expressed optimism that many of the participants would start producing locally made goods and services at the level of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
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