Social Democratic Party (SDP) House of Representatives candidate for the Ilorin East/Ilorin South federal constituency, Alhaji Abdulganiyu Cook-Olododo, has empowered 100 youth with training on Information Communication Technology (ICT) aimed at making them self-reliant and shun crimes.
The SDP National Assembly candidate also presented the youth with 100 brand-new hp laptops after the five-day training programme.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the training programme in Ilorin on Friday, the lawmaker, who presently represents the constituency under the APC, said that the five-day training programme was organized in collaboration with the federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin.
He said that the 100 beneficiaries of the programme would also be presented with computer tables, computer accessories, and antivirus software, among others at the end of the training programme.
Alhaji Cook-Olododo also said that the participants, selected across the two local governments in the federal constituency, would be given financial empowerment to assist them to start up on time.
He recalled that a similar training programme was organized last year when he organized training and presented 100 beneficiaries with brand-new laptops.
“As part of campaign promises made to represent my constituents responsibly, it’s a vow to empower youth in the area and improve their well-being. This is the only way to empower youth because the programme is aimed to achieve self-employment and improve the socioeconomic development of the constituents. The area had never had representation like this before,” he said.
The SDP candidate, who said that the laptops are meant to improve their future and make them responsible citizens, added that youth are the future of the country.
He advised them to extend the commitment exhibited since the commencement of the training beyond the programme, saying they should not sell it.
“It’s meant to make you responsible for your family and the society at large,” he said.
The lawmaker, who said that SDP is the party to beat in the state with its people-oriented programmes and projects aimed at improving the lives of the people, added that other candidates are being challenged to do the same.
Cook-Olododo, who charged the people to see the next general elections as crucial, said that the elections for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senate are more important than others.
He explained that the representatives are closer to people and could cause positive change and development for people with their legislation.
The beneficiaries of the training programme, packaged by Synergy Impact Limited, included unemployed youth, undergraduates, postgraduate students, and artisans, among others.
Also speaking, the executive director of the NSPRI, Dr Patricia Pessu, represented by Dr Fidelis Awagwu, described the training programme as a source of means of livelihood for the participants, urging the beneficiaries to utilize it judiciously.
“I see it as working tools to improve their lives for good, in form of better employment opportunities, self-development etc. It’s not meant for play and they should not sell it. That may mean selling their birthright. It’s a lifetime opportunity and they should make use of it well”, he said.
Some of the beneficiaries, who include a PhD student of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Ayuba Abdulrazaq, said that the laptop would help him with paper writing as he had been without assistance for a long time, while an unemployed graduate of about eight years, Nafisat Adebayo, said that she would use the training to develop herself and be self-reliant.
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