A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Oluseyi Bisiriyu Foundation has trained and equipped 35 youths in different skills in Abeokuta North Local Government area of Ogun State.
The NGO in collaboration with the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) trained the youth in hairdressing, ICT, shoe making, tailoring, and barbing.
The United States-based lawyer also donated working equipment to all the 36 beneficiaries of the skills acquisition programme.
Speaking on the essence of the empowerment programme, Barrister Bisiriyu explained that the gesture is to give back to his community.
The Egba-born philanthropist explained that empowering the youth will reduce the insecurity and unemployment that have beclouded the community.
He added, “government does not need to do everything for us, I believe that personal efforts do more than government.
“What I have done is to provide a short platform, I am not taking over everything, I am just saying that if you have a desire to be successful and you’ve been waiting for somebody to push you, then I’m the guy that will push you.
“I just want my role as a single citizen whose desire is to help people who are poor and think the government is their problem and then tell them that it is up to them to move forward.”
Speaking on his future plan for the people of the state, Bisiriyu noted that plans are underway to ensure that people from other parts of the state benefit from the programme.
He added that “it is meant to be across the whole of Ogun State and there is no discrimination here. It has no geographic barrier or senatorial district barrier but because resources are limited we have to start from somewhere.
“My parents originated from Abeokuta North LG, I started from there and we need a conglomerate of youths to tap from. That is why I partnered with the National Youth Council.”
He urged the beneficiaries to have dreams, work hard, be persistent and to commit themselves to be successful in life, adding that “we are going to try to monitor you as a template that we can improve on.”
In his address, the coordinator of NYCN, Abeokuta Branch, Comrade Emmanuel Ojo described the gesture by the philanthropist as one of its kind.
Ojo promised that the council will facilitate more of such project to Abeokuta North LG.
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