The Executive Chairman of Itire-Ikate LCDA, Hon. (Dr.) Ahmed Olanrewaju Apatira, has empowered 350 women and students through vocational skills acquisition.
According to the council chairman, the skills acquired allow the beneficiaries to become self-reliant and employers of labour.
Hon. Apatira stated this during the 2023 graduation ceremony of students of the Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) Skill Acquisition Centre, held at the council secretariat in Itire-Ikate LCDA on Tuesday.
He advised the graduates to deploy the skills they had acquired to create employment opportunities for others.
Apatira urged the graduates to be persistent, focused, and not give up on their dreams while assuring them of his administration’s commitment to entrepreneurial development.
He also said that his government is creating an enabling environment for people to become employers of labour who would create businesses and opportunities for themselves, their families, and others.
At least 350 women and students from four departments, including tailoring, cosmetology, makeup, catering, and hairdressing, graduated, were issued certificates of competence, and were empowered with various equipment to aid their trade.
Representing the instructors of WAPA, Mrs Oluwakemi Adeniyi advised the graduating students to seek more knowledge to put them in an advantageous position in the competitive industry they are going into.
She said, “You have acquired skills for one year, and within a month, as you are going out there, make sure you represent the state creditably well. With this certificate, you are qualified for soft loans, which will help you establish yourself in business. This is because you are a product of the state. Applying for loans is not very good, that is why
Don’t despise the time of your little beginning. Start in your own little way. Start small and go big. If you keep this certificate, how will people know that you are in that particular field?
Don’t eat all your investments. Cultivate the habit of saving. Keep money for future investments. And make your handiwork, if not perfect, near perfection. Get a skill and be a boss. You will be an employer of labour. May the Lord prosper you as you go.”
The high point of the event was the presentation of tailoring equipment to a 77-year-old woman, Mrs. Adeisa Esther Agbeke from the tailoring department, who emerged as the overall best graduate.
The septuagenarian said becoming a tailor is her longtime dream. She said, “ Tailoring has been my longtime dream. It is what I have been willing to do. Since my childhood, I have had the intention and passion for sewing but never had the opportunity.
The council chairman gave me the opportunity, and I grabbed it. So I will say passion and commitment to learning are the reasons for my emerging as the overall best.
Being among the younger ones makes me feel young, so I have no difficulty concentrating. It is God, not humans. God will conspire to strengthen the government.”
In the makeup and cosmetology department, Miss Dada Moyinoluwa said, “I will take it up by going for more training and also expanding the business. I am not expecting such empowerment from the council chairman. It will help in establishing me in business.”
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