Empowering Entrepreneurs with Skill Set Sunday Ehigiator
Writes that the Alakija Skills Acquisition Centre recently empowered 67 trainees with free startup kits
With an aim to drastically eradicate poverty and unemployment in Nigeria, the Alakija Skills Acquisition Centre in its maiden graduation ceremony recently held in Lagos, graduated 67 fresh entrepreneurs in different skills sets, with most receiving free startup kits.
The centre which is located within the premises of College of Technology Yaba, was launched a year ago by the Founder, Rose of Sharon Foundation, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, with an aim to empower the youth, and widows in the society.
In her address, the Coordinator of the centre, Dr. (Mrs.) Stella Mofunanaya said the centre was realising its goals and objectives. According to her, “Since its, establishment, the centre has made tremendous efforts to realise its goals and objectives in accordance with the set vision and mission of ‘nurturing lively, inquiring, and discerning individuals that will be self-relevant in the spheres of life’.
“Today, we are graduating 67 trainees who have acquired various skills at this centre of knowledge. In the course of the training exercise, the trainees have showed high sense of responsibilities and commitments.
“Today, startup kits would be given to trainees that were very exceptional both in learning and in character. This will encourage them to practice the skills that they have acquired.
“We hope and believe the trainees will keep up the good work and always be good ambassadors of this great centre.”
In an interview with THISDAY, Alakiija highlighted electricity as the major problem entrepreneur’s face in Nigeria.
According to her, “the problem of entrepreneurs in Nigerian is majorly electricity as far as I am concerned. It is not money, because we have seen the likes of a woman who started her company with N1000 and can now boast of millions of naira in her account as a result of starting small, and building on where she started.
“So it is not the money, but electricity, because there is hardly any businesses you are going to do as an entrepreneur that you don’t need electricity. We all need electricity.
“The federal government should give us electricity; however they are going to do it. That is what the people need. We need it so badly because it is affecting our economy.
“When outsiders and investors from other parts of the world think of which country to go and invest in, they would stop to think about electricity, it is a hindrance, so the federal government should give us electricity.”
On the ripple impact the 67 graduands and her skill acquisition center would have on the country and lives of her citizenry, she said, “This is an opportunity that God has brought their way. And they have to realise that it is a one-off opportunity that many prayed for but never get at times. And they have been privileged, and because they have been privileged, they have to make the most of it by focusing on what they have learnt and putting it in good use.
“This is how they are going to earn their bread and butter to be able to feed their families in future. So they mustn’t take it likely. And because it was handed to them on a platter of gold doesn’t mean that they should squander it.
“Now it is time for them to begin to use those tools and everything they have learnt to make money from it. So, the ball is in their court, they can be whoever they desire to be from now on, depending on how much they are willing to put to it.
“Naturally, these are things I refer to as cottage industries. And you find that there are more cottage industries than the huge industries in any nation. So, it is part of nation building. The more there are, the better the economy, because whatever they are earning from it, they plough it back into the economy. And as their lives are getting better and better, they would be raising more whose lives are getting better, and no longer dependent on the government”.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Rector,
Yaba College of Technology, Engr. Femi Omokungbe said one major means of solving the problem of unemployment in Nigeria is skill training and youth empowerment.
According to him, “these 67 trainees have been trained in photography and photo editing, IT and web design, hospitality and home management, cake making, auto servicing, fashion design and tailoring, welding and fabrication, braiding and wig production, plumbing technology, makeup and gele tying.
“I congratulate the trainees on the successful completion of your programmes. The training is to make you self reliant and it is our hope that the skills and knowledge that you have acquired will be deployed to improve your status and self confidence. One major means of solving the problem of unemployment in Nigeria is skill training and youth empowerment.
“The training programme of the college is designed to provide opportunity for the teeming unemployed youth to acquire skills that will enhance their self-sustenance and ultimately promote national growth. A skilled population is the basis for national growth. If we must join the developed nations, we must pay more attention to skill and entrepreneurship training of our youth.”