By Adetokunbo FAKEYE
Nigeria, Ogun State – As part of its mandate to tackle the menace of unemployment, poverty, youth empowerment and community development in Yewaland, a Non-Governmental, Non-Partisan and Non-Profit-Seeking Organization, Yewaland Development Forum, (YDF) through its Project Committee, Yewaland Development Acceleration Project, (YDAP) in partnership with and active support of the Ogun Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has concluded arrangements to hold the second edition of a 2-Day Intensive Girl-Child Empowerment, Training and Skills Acquisition Bootcamp in Idiroko, Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The training programme, tagged ‘Idiroko 2025 Girl-Child Empowerment Bootcamp’, as stated by the organisers, is designed to offer free vocational training and skills acquisition in the production of Household needs such as insecticides, pesticides, soap, hand sanitizer, perfume and petroleum jelly, tye & dye and confectionaries to young girls between the ages of 18 and 25 years.
The 2-day training program, “The YDF/YDAP Girl-Child Empowerment and Skills Acquisition Bootcamp”, as stated in a statement by the President of Yewaland Development Forum, (YDF) Ogbeni Wasiu Fagbohun, also intends to impact the participants, expecially those who just finished their secondary school education in the five local government areas of Ogun West not only with the basic knowledge in the production of the essential household and needs but also aims at equipping them with marketing and sales strategies to establish career development.
The first edition of the programme was held in Ayetoro, the headquarters of Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State and it is now the turn of Ipokia Local Government Area. Our intention is to equip the participants with the basic and new skills, the capacity building and proficiency to leverage on Wealth Creation and Entrepreneurial Skills for Producing & Marketing at least’ Ten, (10) Essential Fast Selling Household Daily Needs”.
Speaking further on the program, Ogbeni Wasiu Fagbohun stated that, “As an organisation deeply concerned and worried about the level of poverty and unemployment in Yewaland, it is our belief that the best approach to eradicating these menace is to put in place programs that ensure our young girls are giving basic vocational training and skills acquisition that will not only guarantee their meal tickets and self sustainability, but equally keep them engaged in, and discourage them from engaging in social vices”.
The training programme, targeted at 500 participants, is expected to hold at the new Multi-Purpose Town Hall, behind General Hospital, Idiroko, Ogun State from Wednesday 23rd to Thursday 24th April, 2025 .
Dignitaries expected to grace the occasion are the Executive Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area, HON. Johnson Akohomeh Avoseh, (CornerStone) as Chairman of the event, the Comptroller, Ogun 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, (NCS) Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu, as Special Guest of Honour and the Oniko of Ikolaje-Idiroko, HRM, Oba John Olakunle Ojo as the Royal Father of the day.
