Lawmakers Empower 200 With Vocational Training

At least, 200 people, including graduates of higher institutions recently graduated from the skills acquisition and vocational training programme put in place by the Federal Lawmaker representing Eti-Osa in the House of Representatives, Hon. Babajide Akinloye.

The beneficiaries, who were from different local government areas of Lagos and and other states of the federation undertook the nine-month skills acquisition training in Catering and Hotel Management, Textile Technology, Fashion Designing, Computer Technology, Hair Dressing, Building Technology and General Agriculture at the Millennium Village Vocational Centre, Ologolo in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos, southwest Nigeria.

The graduation ceremony which had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Senator Ganiu Olanrewaju Solomon, federal lawmakers and their counterparts from the Lagos State House of Assembly, Local Government Chairmen, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN chieftains, traditional rulers, families and parents of the graduands was the height of an intensive skill acquisition programme to make them self-employed by equipping them with vocational trainings.

The initiator of the scheme, Hon. Jide Akinloye who has been bankrolling the training programme since 2001 said he was spurred to invest in the programme due to his firm conviction in the promotion of private enterprise for people to empower themselves and be self sustaining.

Akinloye disclosed that over 5,000 graduates had passed through the centre, adding that the empowerment programme had given him joy, adding that given the needed support and encouragement, Nigerian youths could compete favourably with their counterparts in all spheres as graduates of the vocational institute had excelled in their chosen endeavours.

The lawmaker, who is the Deputy-Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Housing pointed out that the scheme had assisted in reducing unemployment as the graduates of the institute over the years were now employers of labour and that the scheme had also, engaged the youths positively in contributing their quota to significant development of not only Eti-Osa but the larger society of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.