The Balarabe Abiodun Akinwumi Foundation has trained 30 young people in various vocational skills and announced plans to sponsor another 100 beneficiaries in digital skills.
The latest beneficiaries graduated from the foundation’s skills-acquisition programme during its Impact and Graduation Ceremony held on Friday, September 11, 2026.
The 30 trainees received training in areas including fashion designing, hair styling, photography, video editing, event planning, pastry making and nail artistry.
Speaking at the ceremony, the founder of the foundation, Balarabe Abiodun Akinwumi, said empowering young people with practical skills remained central to his commitment to community development.
Akinwumi, who is the African Democratic Congress candidate for the Akure South/Akure North Federal Constituency in the 2027 election, said sustainable empowerment required more than financial assistance, stressing the importance of skills, mentorship and follow-up.
He subsequently announced that another 100 young people would be sponsored for digital-skills training as part of efforts to expand the foundation’s empowerment programmes.
Earlier, the foundation’s manager, Mrs Simisola Alabi, said its impact should be measured by the lives and families touched through its interventions rather than by the number of beneficiaries alone.
Alabi said the foundation had paid the school fees of 100 students, supported 20 parents with their children’s education, distributed 60 school uniforms, over 2,000 learning materials, 500 mathematical sets and 500 school bags, while also sponsoring JAMB registration for 100 teenagers.
She added that the foundation had responded to a request from residents of Ifelodun community by providing two 2,500-litre water tanks after their water-storage facilities were damaged.
The ceremony ended with the presentation of certificates to the 30 graduates, alongside a panel discussion and talent presentations by beneficiaries.
