Put your skills to good use, Alakija tells students

Donor and founder of Skill Acquisition Centre, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, has urged students who recently passed out from the training centre to make good use of skills acquired during their vocational studies.She gave the charge during the graduation of students from the centre, where she also implored the Federal Government to ensure 24-hour electricity in the interest of entrepreneurs and the populace.

According to Alakija, who is the Managing Director, Rose of Sharon Group, when there is lack of electricity, it affects the economy of the country. Lack of electricity, she added, also hinders investors from other part of the world to invest in the country. To the graduands, she said: “This is how you need to earn your bread and butter to be able to feed your families in the future. So you must not take it likely and because it was handed to you on a platter of gold doesn’t mean that you should squander it. When people receive free gifts, there is a tendency to use it anyhow and not appreciate it. Now it is time for you to begin to use those tools and everything you have learnt to make money from it.”

Rector of the college, Obafemi Omokungbe, on his part, urged the private sector to come and partner with the college so that together they can impact greatly on Nigeria youths. He said that training the youths in skill acquisitions will not only help them live a meaningful life but will also get them off the streets as well as reduce crimes.

He said: “If our youths are meaningfully engaged, issue of cultism, robbery, kidnapping will be off the street and we will have a saner society. That should be the focus of all stakeholders. More partnership from the private sector will help equip our youths and eradicate evil from our society.” Coordinator of the centre, Mrs. Stella Mofunanya, urged the graduated trainees to use the skills they have acquired for human and national development.