By Adeola Badru

AN Ibadan Chief, the Ajia-Balogun Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oloye Adegboyega Adegoke, yesterday, said the only way to minimize poverty and reduce social vices in the country is for governments and non-governmental organizations to invest in human development and provision of vocational training for the youths.

Oloye Adegboyega whose foundation, Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC), Ibadan, just completed the training and empowerment of over 200 youths with requisite entrepreneurial skills and were provided with working tools to be self-reliant, said this would go a long way to keep the youths off the streets.

Also read: Qualitative education key to defeating corruption, terrorism- Buhari

He said the training and empowerment will go a long way in reducing poverty, joblessness, and the attendant crimes among the youths in the country.

He stressed that when youths are engaged and impacted with Knowledge through vocational training and studies, social vices and poverty would be reduced to the barest minimal.

Adegoke, while urging states and the federal government to invest more on vocational studies, insisted that the government can reduce social vices among the youths through handiwork rather than focusing alone on white-collar jobs

According to him: “There are 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 will be engaged and they will be far away from social vices, that can dent their image and that of their families.”

“In my own little way I am contributing to youth development and poverty alleviation, my foundation, Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre has devices a vocational training for youths in several aspects such as candle and soap making, hairdressing, chalk making, tailoring, computer engineering, POP and others.”

“We are presenting working tools to about 75 of them today, out of 200 as the first batch to follow Covid-19 protocol, another two batches will follow in the next few weeks time. Parts of what we are distributing include sewing machines, hairdryers, laptops and computers, generators, cash, and other working implements.”

“We have trained people on how to be self-reliant and to become an entrepreneur. This will 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 will be taught to have a saving culture.”

“This kind of program will put an end to youth unrest because when youths are gainfully engaged, they would not have time for unproductive activities like engaging in violent acts and all that,” he said.

Vanguard News