Encourage your children to combine education with expertise, entrepreneur urges parents

Godwin spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the closing ceremony of an eight-week free-skill- acquisition training for young boys and girls held at the Igando/Ikotun Local Council area of Lagos State.

Godwin, the director of PELLX Empowerment Programme (PEP), said that no fewer than 2,500 children from about 50 schools benefitted from the empowerment.

NAN reports that the children were trained in bead making, make-up, tying of headgear “gele’’, how to make flower vase, ankara-craft, theatre arts and music.

Godwin said, “Gone are the days when the graduates from tertiary institutions depended on white collar jobs or ready-made professions.

“The available white-collar jobs in contemporary times are far less to go round the unemployed graduates, “he said.

He noted that the school curriculum did not provide opportunities for most children to acquire skills that would expose them to what they could do with their hands and brains.

The entrepreneur said that the programme had exposed the participants to various creative skills that would eventually help them become financially independent and also reduce unemployment in the country.

“A nation with lesser job suffers higher crime rate, but a nation with higher jobs, enjoys peace and prosperity.

“The challenges created in youths by cultism and cybercrimes are products of idleness and unemployment which can be reduced through employment,’’ he said.

The entrepreneur while addressing the youths advised them to always embrace vocational skills and formal education.

“These two have the potential to heal the world of its vices. When a child is empowered with skills, it assists him or her all through his or her journeys in life.

“When you support skills with the knowledge you acquired from school, it distinguishes you from the crowd.

“Keep practising what you learn wherever you find yourself so that you do not forget such skills,” he said.

He advised them to also study their surroundings closely to see how they could apply these skills there as a means of serving their neighbours with a view to earning a living from their services.

“Always remember that you are the next legend the whole world is waiting to celebrate, do not waste any acquired knowledge, even if it was freely acquired, “he said.

Some of the beneficiaries told NAN that the training was an added knowledge to their academics.

According to Olamide Ajoke of Hopeful Private School, Ijeododo, I concentrated on bead-making because it is the current-money-making handiwork.

Akindeinde Esther from Durable Comprehensive High School described the training as very skillful and worthwhile.

Emmanuella Ebuzor from Bridge School, Joseph Adesuwa from Simic College in Abaranje, Akinloye Aminat from Sky Fountain School and Christmas Please from God’s Banner School, appreciated the programme.

Similarly, Angela Obute of Holy Family School, Ijegun commended the organisers for bringing up young entrepreneurs for the nation.