Day youth foundation empowered 50 entrepreneurs in Ifo

For 50 young entrepreneurs within Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun state, Thursday December 12, 2019, was a day that would forever be etched in their memory as the day when their journey into financial independence commenced.

The youths and their family members could not hide their joy as they converged on the Quality Events Centre, Okenla, Ifo, venue of the empowerment programme organised by the Progressive Youth Foundation (PYF), where the 50 beneficiaries were put on the part of self-reliance and economic empowerment.

It was, indeed, a day of joy as the beneficiaries and their family members trooped to the venue en-masse in great spirits to make the event colourful and memorable.

The PYF empowerment programme was the organisation’s contribution to boost government’s effort to curb restiveness and crime among youths based on the belief that if they have a source of livelihood, the tendency to commit crime will be drastically reduced. The group believes that aside creating a skill acquisition scheme for youths to acquire vocational training, it is also important to set them up to start whatever vocation they learn.

The project is part of the PYF’s effort to help government to increase human capital development in the country and check agitations and unrest, particularly among youths by giving them something to do and by giving them financial independence that will transform them from liabilities to productive members of the society who won’t depend on others to feed.

The Progressive Youth Foundation, Ifo state constituency, made the empowerment project part of its annual patrons and advisers award ceremony in line with its vision to make life easier for others.

The PYF coordinator for constituency 1, Ifo, Ogun State, Comrade Ali Oluwagbenga Samuel, expressed joy at the success of the award ceremony and empowerment project. He noted that “the rationale for youth empowerment for us is holistic self-reliance and community development. That was our target, and we thank God that we are getting positive signs going by the response we have seen so far. This is the fourth programme in 2019.

“We have covered like three local governments; Ifo, Ewekoro and Odeda. On October 1, we also had a clean-up exercise which was targeted towards youth holistic reformation and community clean up. Those who got their training from our past seminars are now producers of different products.

“What we do is to empower youths, especially those that are our members, through training and thereafter, financially, our target is to make the individual youth self-reliant and financially independent. We do this series of programmes like four times every year and we will continue to contribute our quota to the development of the society.”

Some of the youths who benefited from the scheme lauded the organizers while calling on other organizations and well meaning Nigerians to emulate the PYF.

“If only other local governments could be doing this, I think the rate of crime and unemployment will reduce in the society,” Adebola Gafar, a beneficiary stated.

The event which was attended by Hon. Hakeem Olanrewaju Bello, the immediate past chairman of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, was sponsored by Alhaji Tajudeen  Olaotan Bello, the grand patron of the club, who is also the  national financial secretary to the ruling All Progressive  Congress (APC) in Ogun State.