Nigerians, no fewer than 5,000, across the 33 Local Government areas of Oyo State have benefitted from the empowerment programme initiated by a support group of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Professionals Council, in Oyo State, Southwest, Nigeria.
The beneficiaries, mostly women and youths, participated in a four-day empowerment and scholarship programme that ran from Tuesday, 25th October to Friday, 28th October, 2022.
During the period, the beneficiaries were trained in areas such as; soap making, fish farming, digital marketing, crop farming, poultry and a host of other viable ventures, while some others were also offered admission letters to run a tuition-free programme in various institutions of learning within and outside the state.
The initiative, ’’A brainchild of the Professionals Council’’, a foremost support group of the APC, was held in partnership with the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Moor Plantation, Apata, Ibadan.
The Director-General of the Professionals Council, Dr. Seyi Bamgbade, said during the ceremony that the initiative was designed with the cardinal objectives of keying into the Federal Government’s plans to move millions of Nigerians out of poverty and raise their standards of living. This has continually been demonstrated in several ways through various windows such as N-power, trader-monie, farm money and other interventions mapped out by the APC-led government, for the people.
Social vices
Bamgbade stated that the intervention would reduce social vices and crimes to the barest minimum if more people are empowered and given access to education through scholarships, to contribute to the development of the country.
He expressed his appreciation to the management of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology for making it possible for the group to achieve its assignment of training and empowering the unemployed Nigerians, especially the youth.
The Oyo State Coordinator of the Professionals Council, Dr. Bamidele Gold, in his remark, expressed happiness at the smooth-running and hitch-free exercise which he said had impacted the beneficiaries that participated during the training sessions.
Gold thanked the national body of the Professionals Council for the empowerment opportunity it gave to unemployed youth in Oyo state which had afforded the participants an opportunity to gain new skills and secure admission to higher institutions of learning.
In their goodwill messages, the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Sarafadeen Alli; candidate for Ido/Ibarapa Federal Constituency, Remi Oseni; member, Federal House of Representatives from Ibadan North Constituency, Olaide Akinremi, who was represented by Ojo Jimoh; Kunle Kareem from Akinyele Local Government Area and Mrs. Tairat Adeyemi, all lauded the initiative of the APC Professionals Council geared towards reducing the number of unemployed youths and eradicate poverty in the society.
They urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the interest-free loan which was given to them as a start-up grant for what they had learned.
Highlights
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of admission letters to all the students that were offered a scholarship, while certificates of participation were also given to others that took part in the skills acquisition programme.
Some of the beneficiaries of the scholarship award are Jimoh Ayinde, Tajudeen Agbeke, Aderogba Stephen, Oye Oluwabunmi and Adetuluse Temilade.
Olusola Akintonde
