Stakeholders in the education sector have said that empowering youths in Nigeria has the potential to generate funds, enhance creativity and reduce unemployment.
The stakeholders stated this in Ibadan on Sunday at the closing of the Youth Empowerment Project on Photography, organised by Shining Stars Initiative International (SSII), Nigeria and Patron SSII.
Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of The Bells University, Ota, Ogun, urged youths to see skill acquisition as a way of developing their talents and potentials.
Adeyemi said that photographers were no longer treated with contempt, as people needed virtual communication which was an aspect of photography.
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“We now live in a digital age which encompasses photography. A digital age cannot thrive without photography, and that’s where professionalism and knowledge of information technology comes in.
“For you to be efficient and effective in the area of photography, your ICT skills will have to be developed.
“So, I am appealing to all of you who are on this programme to see it as an opportunity to develop yourselves and communicate better,” he said.
Mr Ayobami Oke, a Creative Consultant and facilitator at the event, said that capacity building was the biggest investment that could be given to people.
“It is much more than giving people money. It is what they can do with the mental resources that abound in Africa, especially Nigeria.
“The youth have energy on their side. So the photography training we have given them should equip them to be useful for themselves, as we are in digital age.
“A lot of trade has gone online. So people have to project their goods and sell online. Photography should, therefore, equip them to be beneficial to themselves and present the best of the products online for those who want to sell.
“They can offer the same service to others. More than just selling, everybody now has a story to tell in every profession. This training will, therefore, help them to project their unique stories,” Oke said.
Also, Dr Seyi Osunade, Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Ibadan, said that the training was a step in the right direction, as it would the youth to solve the challenges of unemployment.
“It will also solve financial issues and enhance creativity, using their energy that will be beneficial to their environment,” Osunade said.
In her remarks, Mrs Omokehinde Deji-Akinpelu, Executive Director, SSII, expressed gratitude to God for the success of the first edition of the six-month empowerment project.
Deji-Akinpelu said that the project had become imperative, given the unemployment rate in Nigeria which had risen astronomically and estimated to reach 33 per cent.
“At SSII, we seek to deal with this hydra-headed problem of unemployment. We have singled out youth empowerment as a vital tool in bridging the gap between the employed and the unemployed.
“The empowerment is multifaceted and it is a six-month project; our mission is to empower and equip Nigerian youth to harness untapped opportunities.
“This is through well-structured skill acquisitions that are hands-on training to make youths gainfully employed and become self-reliant,” she said.
The SSII boss noted that the training would also give participants an added advantage in a competitive world.
Deji-Akinpele, however, urged members of the public, organisations, foundations and the government to join the initiative by supporting and collaborating with the organisers on the project.
One of the participants, Mr Tomiwa Sofolabo, said that the programme was value-filled and would help other youths.
“Now that I have learnt about photography and how to take good pictures, I will take more courses on it and use it to sell my products as I’m already into confectionery,” she said.
Another participant, Mr Oluwadamilare Oladejo, said that the training had changed his perspective about photography.
“I used to think that I knew about photography, but the training has opened my eyes and those of other participants to so many things.
“I learnt how to build business into my skills and talents which I had not been able to do before,” Oladejo said. (NAN)
