Nigeria: Bekämpfung der Armut durch Berufsausbildung

Tackling poverty through vocational training

A non governmental organisation based in Ibadan has put smiles on the faces of indigent members of the society in what BAYO AGBOOLA in this report says was widely applauded by everyone.

It was a dream come true for youths numbering 175 when on Wednesday, July 22, about 200 youths finally passed out from a vocational training centre that encompasses different skills such as computer literacy, cake baking, tailoring, bead making, fashion designing, among others, organised and sponsored by an organisation known as  Adegboyega Adegoke Foundation. 

To most of the participants at the vocational training centre, the experience gained at the training would for ever be remembered and continue to shape their living conditions for the best and also be permanent  considering the life experience garnered during the training. 

No wonder, the graduants in line with the COVID-19 protocols stormed the AWENI House headquarters of Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre in Oke Ado area of Ibadan for the much awaited event in batches for their passing out and  distribution of the support skills for their different vocations.

Its essence

The 175 youths from various parts of Ibadanland, according to the Ajia Balogun Olubadan who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC) Oloye Adegboyega Adegoke were assembled based on his conviction at empowering the youths in the society in order to make themselves self sustaining, productive and better still useful to themselves, Oyo state, their parents and Nigeria in general.

Chief Adegoke while speaking on the motive behind the gesture minced no words in stressing that the sole aim of the Foundation is to alleviate poverty in the society particularly among the youths in and across his area through human capital development for the betterment of the society.

“What we are doing here is to alleviate poverty through human capital development. We want to develop the youths; we want to train them, we want to re-orientate them. If you train the mind, you develop human being. There is poverty and unemployment in the land coupled with the consequences such as social vices which we can reduce drastically if the government, corporate bodies, foundation and individual philanthropist can invest in vocational studies. By doing so, many youths would be engaged and they would be far away from social vices that can dent their image and that of their families."

Oloye Adegoke stressed further that, "In my own little way in contributing to youth development and poverty alleviation, my foundation, Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre has devised a vocational training for youths in several aspects such as candle and soap making, hairdressing, chalk making, tailoring, computer engineering, POP and others."

Speaking further, he said, "We are presenting working tools to about 75 of them today, out of 200 as first batch to follow Covid-19 protocol. Another two batches would follow in the next few weeks time. Parts of what we are distributing include sewing machines, hair dryer, laptops and computers, generators, cash and other working implements. We have trained people on how to be self-reliant and to become entrepreneurs." This would help in alleviating the poverty level in the state and country at large and to generate income for themselves. The way the country is going now, you cannot rely on white collar jobs.

"We are also orientating the beneficiaries to be self-reliant instead of waiting for white-collar jobs that we all know are not there. They would be taught to have a saving culture.This kind of programme would put an end to youths unrest because when youths are gainfully engaged, they would not have time for unproductive activities like engaging in violent acts and all that".

Appeal to others

Going by the words and gestures of the Foundation's CEO, the time is ripe for the all well-meaning individuals, other foundations and corporate organisation in and across Nigeria to develop structures and strategies to address the scourge of the rising poverty in the country. This is so as poverty eradication, no doubt, would offer hope and clearly point human especially youths to the right direction, particularly coming at a time when economic activities have been badly affected globally by the COVID -19 pandemic. It is projected to revise gains already made in the achievement. If care is not taken, the present situation would push additional millions of people into extreme poverty.

Considering the acolyte and the quest by the graduands who are mostly youths, there is no gain saying in the fact the time is now for the well to do in the society especially those not holding political office to emulate Oloye Adegboyega Adegoke who presently is not holding any political office but remains committed to alleviating the sufferings of the downtrodden in society like widows, the less- privileged and now the 200 youths from across Ibadan land.

There is no doubt doing this would go a long way in creating a better environment for Nigerians particularly youths who are often referred to as the leaders of tomorrow. "For our tomorrow to be bright and well shaped, the youths must be empowered, made to make them useful to themselves, the state, the society and the country at large."