By Adeola Badru

No fewer than sixty beneficiaries, Friday, went to their various homes with a big smile on their faces after graduating from the first Total Parental Guidance Orphanage Free Skills Acquisition Training programme, tagged: “Skills for Life,” in Ibadan.

The beneficiaries, who are predominately orphans and youths, received their certificates at an elaborate graduating ceremony held at an orphanage home, beside MTN building, Oluyole Estate, Ring Road Ibadan.

The training saw the beneficiaries graduated in different areas of skills acquisition such as; beads making, pedicure, snacks making, soap, make-up facial, fashion, event decoration, air freshener making, and hairdressing, Photography, Fine Arts, Computer Coding and Programming among others.

Speaking with journalists at the occasion, organiser of the programme, Mr. Mobolaji Oladepo, explained that the initiative was aimed at encouraging the youths, especially the orphans in taking up their own businesses in the drive towards self-reliance and reduction of unemployment in society.

He said he was worried by the rising rate of unemployment and degrading values in the country, hence, the need for the intervention

Asked if the gesture was born out of political motive, he responded: “I don’t have any political ambition, for now, am only doing this for the development of our indigent masses in the state.”

Oladepo, while urging the beneficiaries as they stand on the brink of moving into a new life beyond the process of acquiring different skills, stressed change would be inevitable “and it is indeed gratifying to see our graduating trainees matured and become skills proficient, ready to tackle the career in their chosen fields.”

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“It gives me great joy to see myself giving back to the society. I am really fulfilled by what I have been able to contribute in my little way to the society.”

“What they have acquired is a legacy and it depends on they put the acquired skills into good use of the benefit of mankind.”

While attributing corruption and maladministration by successive Nigerian government indicators of unemployment in the country, Oladepo stressed that the nation’s oil wealth, as well as other material and human resources, have not been properly managed as to make the average Nigerian benefit from them, adding that successive Nigerian government have paid lip service to the problem of mass unemployment and poverty.

He added that the increase in population made it difficult for the government to cope with the army of unemployed youth after graduation.

In order to make education responsive to the need of the nations and to provide employment to the youth, he said, it became imperative that education should be directed towards improving the knowledge and skills of the Nigerian youths.

“There should be an overhaul of existing skills acquisition programmes to make them more functional and effective through the revival of vocational and Technical Education/schools. The ITF should be strengthened to provide effective linkage between”

“Adequate financial support should be made to the ITF to support the establishment of skill acquisition centres across the country. There should be funding of skills acquisition projects through revolving loans for rake-off,” he posited.

One of the beneficiaries, Miss Kadiyat, 17 years old, expressed gratitude to the sponsor and the management for affording her the opportunity to be self reliant, despite the fact that she had lost her parents.

“With the skills I have acquired I can earn good money to sustain myself and even employ others when my business starts to grow,” she said.