Youths Must Acquire Skills —NGO

The founder of Sir Emmanuel Ogayi Akpazu Foundation, Mrs. Justina Akpazu-Ozenu, has enjoined youths to acquire certain skills while still in school as a means of combating unemployment after graduation.

She stated this while addressing journalists at a seminar tagged Every Child Counts, held at the Ejigbo Unity Town Hall, Ejigbo, Lagos, Nigeria.

“Most of our children don’t have access to right information, while many of them are absurd. I felt that I should start something like this in order to transform their lives. The essence is for them to be self-reliant.

“What we have now is a situation whereby most of them, after graduating from schools, are on the streets looking for jobs that are no more there. So, there is need for our youths today to engage themselves in different skills. We have been impacting this into the lives of these children, many of who are orphans. We even pay their school fees.”

On when the foundation started, she said “I started doing this work since 2005 while I got it registered with CAC in 2009.

“Our mission is to continue the many good works that the late Sir Emmanuel Akpazu started as he touched lives wherever he went. As we combat poverty, empower the youths and support girl-child education, we have also helped in capacity building cum advocacy for the women folk and assistance to the widows, the blind, deaf, the dumb and all others with various degrees of disability.”

The education development and real parenting initiative programme was well attended by parents and a cross section of schools including LCH School, Sam Glory High School, Ejigbo Senior High School, Oluade High School, De-Glory Secondary School, White House Secondary School and St. Peter’s Catholic School, while it was witnessed by guests including Rev. Tony Oleh, Mr. Lakeinde G.P.O., Chief Gbadamosi, the Oba of Ejigbo and representatives of  Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, among others.

—Paul Sanusi