Youth Empowerment: ELP Foundation Graduates 105

It was encomium for Bishop Mike Okonkwo at the ninth graduation ceremony of 105 students of the Empowerment for the Less Privileged (ELP) Foundation, as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the beneficiaries of the vocational programme commended him for providing free skills training for the youths.

At the colourful award ceremony held at Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Sanwo-Olu and some graduates acknowledged Okonkwo’s contribution to empowering youths with skills training to promote self-employment.

The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs. Yetunde Arobieke, commended Okonkwo for establishing the foundation to address youth unemployment.

“This initiative must therefore be commendable and showcased for other well-meaning, privileged individuals to emulate.”

Sanwo-Olu acknowledged that the foundation since inception has trained over 5,000 youths in various vocational skills for free and will continue to provide opportunities to more youths.

“We need to align our orientation with the reality that the so-called white-collar jobs are decreasing by the day. There are enormous opportunities in the technical and vocational field,” he explained.

He congratulated the graduating students and implored them to apply the skills acquired to justify the time and money invested in the training.

Okonkwo said he got excited when people thought out of the box, urging the graduates to key into what the Lagos government is doing regarding wealth creation.

Okonkwo, the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), thanked the 105 graduates for completing the training, saying, “we have a generation that is in hurry to do things. When you are in a hurry, you run into problem.”

He said due to the lack of white-collar jobs. The youths must embrace skills acquisition to eke a living. “Everything you are looking for is in this country. Don’t leave the country.”

He challenged the 105 graduates to train others and be employers of labour. He promised that the ELP foundation would continue to provide free skill training to the youths.

A ELP Foundation Board of Trustees member, Dr. Harriet Akubuiro, said the ceremony was meant to celebrate the 105 graduates. Some of them have produced works on display at the exhibition stand.

Akubuiro gave a breakdown of the graduands, 50 from Mushin and 55 from Agege. She said 11 graduates obtained Distribution in different skills.

The guest speaker and a renowned female carpenter, Mrs. Dayo Tukuru, applauded Okonkwo’s efforts to empower youths with free training in different skills.

She tutored the graduates to succeed and revealed how she started carpentry with just N20 and in a room in her family rented apartment.

Eleven of the graduates who obtained distinction were presented with different working tools.