The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Oyo State, Sen. Teslim Folarin on Wednesday said no fewer than 10,500 youths across the State have been lifted out of poverty in the last three years since his return to the Red Chamber.
The Oyo Central Senator said they were empowered through his various intervention and empowerment programmes.
He said that the interventions have been made easy, courtesy of Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies most especially Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) led by Engr. Simbi Wabote.
According to him graduation ceremony Of 500 youths trained By NCDMB on GSM phone repairs, hardware, software and enterprenureship development in Oyo State, Folarin said he don’t just give the youths fish but also teaches them how to fish for them to be self reliance without waiting for government job.
He lamented that government jobs are scarce, which informed the need for youths to utilised skills and competencies acquired to uplift themselves, families and also contribute to the economic growth of the state.
The chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content maintained that the current graduating 500 youths are significant additions to the already empowered 10000 youths in the state who have been trained in Modern Agricultural Techniques, ICT Skills Acquisition, Digital Literacy and Entrepreneurship.
He said the 500 beneficiary youths that are graduating underwent four weeks intensive trainings at Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan; LAUTECH Ogbomoso and Atiba University, Oyo. And also spent another four weeks of practical at selected phone repair workshops.
“Let me quickly highlight some of my interventions on youth and women empowerment, between 2019 and today, I’ve facilitated establishment of multi-billion naira state-of-the-art University of Ibadan Vocational School on Oil and Gas; N200Million worth of empowerment for youths and women including People With Special Needs; N132million for 200 youths through National Youth Volunteer Programme; N10.5Million TKF Business Empowerment Scheme; N25million FG COVID-19 Loans for 20 constituents; N5m COVID-19 Relief for young teachers, N4million for 200 vulnerable women through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, and many other personal interventions too numerous to mention.”
“Today’s graduation ceremony is a milestone in your lives as it marks the end of a formal knowledge and skills acquisition phase of your development and launches you into an opportunity phase where you will seek to exploit your new knowledge and skills to make a difference in the world around you. You can look back with pride at your learning journey and hold your heads up in acknowledgement of your achievements.”
“With what we have packaged for each of you, you are out of poverty and joblessness. The package include phone repair toolbox, stipend of N130,000 for each graduate, fully paid workshop for each graduate, and registration with SMEDAN for SMEs Loans and other opportunities. Besides, 100 best graduates are to be given fully installed laptops with Phone Repairs Software.”
He however said 2023 is another opportunity for the people to vote out the self-serving administration in the State, saying incoming APC administration under his watch would move the state forward for growth and development.
The NCDMB General Manager, Research, Statistics and Development, Abdulmalik Halilu said the programme was part of president Buhari’s mandate and commitment to empower Nigerian youths to be a contributors towards national development.
Dignitaries at the event include former Oyo Deputy Governor, Engr Rauf Olaniyan, Barr. Sharafadeen Ali, Engr. Akeem Alao, Dr. Yunuf Akintunde, Prince Niran Adeyoku and APC leader among others.
