Some youths across Lagos suburbs have benefitted from the 2021 E4F + Life Skills Training organised by the Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF) with support from First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
Speaking at the two-day training programme, Iwalola Akin- Jimoh, Executive Secretary, YEF, said that the aim of the programme was to train and equip youths with life skills and vocational skills to prepare them for the future.
Akin-Jimoh said that beneficiaries would be attached to different workshops in the areas of their interest for a period of between six to 12 months, to learn the skills.
“These youths are trained on different vocations, shoemaking, makeup, hairdressing, tailoring, baking and information technology.
“We want everybody to realise that within your little space, you can do a lot to move the country forward, we don’t have to be dependent on government for everything.
“We want the youth to be empowered in their academics, financially, emotionally and otherwise.’’ she said.
Akin-Jimoh advised the youth on the need for integrity.
She also said that the NGO had different programmes of focus in the areas of health, education, sports for development, child for protection and livelihoods.
In his presentation, Mr Diran Olojo, Group Head, Corporate Communication, FCMB, charged the beneficiaries on the need for authenticity and resilience.
According to Olojo, for the youth to excel, there is the need for them to build their personality as well as their emotional and intelligence quotient.
“Authenticity is very key, you have to be resilient. It can be tough to break barriers in an environment like ours but with that authenticity, resilience, nothing is impossible.
“Know who you are, your strengths and weaknesses.
“Choose your friends carefully, watch your temper and determine your unique selling proposition (USP),’’ he said.
Mrs Tolulope Osoba, Programme Manager and Social Worker with YEF, said: “Today, we are having a group of young men and women who are being trained and being prepared to pick up various vocations.
“This is to help young people who have probably finished secondary school, instead of just waiting at home and getting involved in all vices, pick up a skill to prepare for the future.
“Most of the beneficiaries are from the suburbs; they need a skill to support themselves while supporting their parents and also keep them engaged while guarding against stealing, banditry and other vices.
“They have to also learn to be leaders, to begin to work toward creating things because it is expected that when they are done here, though they may not become entrepreneurs, they are on the road towards that.
“This helps create more jobs for other young people,’’ she said.
Ms Titilayo Ogunbiyi, CSR and Sustainability Reporting Officer, FCMB, gave a lecture on financial management and entrepreneurship.
According to her, appropriate allocation of funds, money management and good utilisation of available resources will help any business not to go bankrupt.
Some of the beneficiaries of the Life Skills Training organised by the Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF) and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Lagos State.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Samson Haruna, 22, thanked the organisers for the opportunity to acquire a skill.
He said he was going to learn shoemaking as it would help him earn extra money in the university when I gets admission.
Haruna advised youths to pursue their dreams and be better equipped for the future.
Another beneficiary, Felicia Amangbo, 20, who wants to learn hairdressing said she had learnt a lot from the training programme, intellectually and vocationally.
She said she would use the skills acquired to help herself in the university and also open a hairdressing shop.