Approximately 100 young individuals marked a significant milestone on Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, as they graduated from a rigorous six-week intensive skill acquisition training program at the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) in Oshodi, Lagos.
The initiative, spearheaded by Rep. Babajimi Benson, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, aimed to combat unemployment by equipping participants with vital entrepreneurial skills.
Out of the 100 beneficiaries, 36 were selected from Rep.Babajimi Benson’s Ikorodu federal constituency, with additional participants drawn from various military divisions and the local community.
The training, conducted at the NAFRC Centre in Oshodi, covered a diverse range of disciplines, including photography, cosmetics/soap making, bakery and confectionary, ICT, barbing, hairdressing, leatherwork, and agriculture-focused ventures such as fish snail production, rabbit and grass cutter breeding, and poultry.
Representing Rep. Babajimi Benson, Mr. Aregbesola Rasheed expressed gratitude to NAFRC for extending vocational training beyond military personnel, emphasizing the importance of civilian-military collaboration in national development.
Aregbesola explained the positive impact of the program on past beneficiaries and encouraged the latest cohort to utilise their newfound skills to bolster local and national economies.
“Through initiatives like this, we continue to address unemployment challenges, offering tangible pathways for youth empowerment and sustainable economic development”.
“There is also a follow-up platform in place to ensure that all graduands are eventually established through numerous skills they’ve acquired here” Mr Aregbesola asserted
Brigadier-General I. Olatunji, Director of Training at NAFRC, detailed the importance of practical application, urging graduates to leverage their experiences for personal and business growth.
NAFRC commandant, Adeniyi Amesinlola, represented by Major General Emmanuel Anaryu, emphasized the responsibility of graduates to represent NAFRC and iCARE Foundation positively, reflecting their training values in their endeavours.
He said though the resettlement centre was established to cater for retired military officers, the commandant, in a bid to expand the course of the facility, partnered with Rep. Babajimi Benson to impact youths with the numerous training programs NAFRC has to offer.
The graduation ceremony, held at the General Onisakin exhibition ground, showcased the participants’ achievements, with various products and produce from the training program on display after a sendoff photoshoot session by the organisers.
The program served as a demonstration of the collaborative efforts of NAFRC and iCARE Foundation in empowering youth and fostering entrepreneurship across Lagos State and Nigeria.
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