The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Isolo Local Branch in partnership with Isolo LCDA have organized free intensive training on various in-demand crafts for young individuals in the council area.
According to the Coordinator, Damilola Kushimo, the training, held on Wednesday at Isolo Youth Centre, LSDPC Estate, Ile Iwe Metta, Isolo was to commemorate this year’s World Youth Skills Day themed: ‘Skills For A Shared Future’ and ultimately in furtherance of his administration’s commitment to equip young individuals with crafts for self-reliance and ultimately to enhance local economy.
Kushimo disclosed that the participants were 34 in numbers all of whom were trained on either Photography & Videography, Confectionery or soap making.
Kushimo noted that had school not been in session, the beneficiaries would have been more than that even as he expresssed delight at the impressive turnout.
According to him: “This is one of our own way of complementing the efforts of Isolo LCDA under the qualitative leadership of Otunba Olasoju Adebayo, in bettering the lives of young individuals in our community. Today’s training is as a result of the challenge given to the 57 local branches in the state by the State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, ably led by Engr. Adigun Ibrahim Olalekan, MNSE, and also it aligns with our administrative goals.
“Of the 34 participants that registered between Monday and Wednesday morning that the registration link was available, 18 put in for photography and Videography while 11 registered for confectionery and the 5 others for soap making. Most of the participants are within age 15 and 30 and most of them are from the various communities in Isolo. Factly speaking, some were from the neighboring Ejigbo and Oshodi communities,” Kushimo analysed.
Speaking further, the youth leader explained that the program wouldn’t have been made possible without the unquantifiable support of Isolo LCDA Chairman, Otunba Adebayo Olasoju, the council’s supervisor for Agric, Rural and Community Development, Hon. Olamide Taiwo among others whom he said contributed unsparingly to the program.
“Beyond the training, we’ve made them understand the importance of having a craft. Gone are the days when people condemn craft and skills and focus solely on formal education. Like this year’s theme says: ‘Skills For A Shared Future,’ everyone needs a skill to contribute meaningfully to the actualization of the future we all desire. We’ve told them to also brush up the skills because learning is continuum. Our heartfelt appreciation goes to the council chairman; the grand patron of NYCN Isolo Local Branch, Otunba Olasoju Adebayo for his support for this program as well as our supervisor for Agric, Hon. Olamide Taiwo for keying into the program despite the short notice,” Kushimo added.
On her part, the Assistant Public Relations Officer, NYCN Lagos State Chapter, Comrade Choice Ukpai who monitored the exercise commended the local branch and expressed satisfaction with the turnout and intensity of the trainings.
Aside from rigorous training and presentation of certificates, officials of Isolo LCDA’s branch of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) were in attendance to discuss loan and grant opportunities with the participants.
One of the photography trainees, Fatimah AbdulRaheem; a Mass Communication Student, who desires to go into photo journalism appreciated the organizer stressing that the intensive training has further exposed her to the rudiments of photography.
