By Abimbola Joseph
CITIZENS COMPASS —THE Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government, Hon. Wasiu Ayodeji Adesina, on Friday, urged Nigerian youths to empower themselves and be multi-talented to bridge the gap of unemployment and brein drain in the society.
Adesina gave the advice during the graduation ceremony of digital skills training for 100 students at the council secretariat in Ikorodu, Lagos.
The Citizens Compass reports that the two weeks training was conducted in conjunction with Speed up Lagos and certificates were presented to all the beneficiaries.
The students were trained in different skills including Graphics designs, Facebook advertising/Trade promotion, Cartoon Animation, Sound and Beats production, Photo Editing and Coding.
He said, “We are happy and extremely grateful on our part to meet the needs of individuals, youths and the community.
“We are trying to enhance their education and promote knowledge as 100 students have graduated with different skills in Information Technology.
“These skills can make them to be self reliant because what they have acquired is enough to equip themselves,” he said.
According to him, the council embraced the initiative as part of effort to nurture young minds, provide the needed opportunities and encourage knowledge acquisition on science and technology which was a pathway to economic and technology advancement.
He said the training would be conducted on yearly basis and advised those who are interested to come and enrol before the time.
Adesina added that his administration puts education in the forefront as an important priority and advised the beneficiaries to take advantage of skills acquired and faced their studies very well.
The council said in addition to training, his administration would distribute no fewer than 200 General Certificate of Examination (GCE) forms and inaugurates five blocks of classrooms in the coming week as part of his effort to improve education in the community.
“I want to urge you all to take your education very seriously and make the best use of it.
“During our time, we lack the basic learning infrastructure like internet as we have it today.
” I want to appreciate the organisers, Speed up Lagos who partnered with us to bring up this programme.
“As I said earlier, the local government will roleout 200 GCE forms to enable our students to project and acquire more knowledge to enhance their educational pursuit.
“In a couple of weeks, the LG will inaugurates five blocks of classroom at Salvation Army pry school with furnitures to enable students learn in a condusive atmosphere,” said Adesina.
Also speaking, Mrs Gbemisola Ajetunmobi, Director and organiser of speed up Lagos, said the training would have positive impact on their lives and urged the beneficiaries to take it as an opportunity for them to be self reliance and
Ajetunmobi, represented by Mrs Kemisola Sanni, commended the council chairman for his immense contribution on education and the success of the programme.
A beneficiary, Miss Faithia Ayomiku said the training has given her the opportunity to learn some basic skills on her phone to make money for herself.
Also Miss Olayinka Ahmed, another beneficiary advised others to ensure the knowledge acquired is not waisted but use as a means of empowering one another considering the economic reality of the country.
They commended the Chairman for the initiative and urged him to organise more programmes that would be of benefits to the youths in the community.
Earlier, the council head of education said the programme would take youths out of the street, reduce unemployment and vices among them.
