Jamparito Ventures Nigeria Limited, in collaboration with the IDEAS Project, has commenced the training of 50 youths in Computer Hardware Maintenance and Phone Repairs under the third cohort of the IDEAS-TVET programme in Oka-Akoko, Ondo State.
In a statement signed by Albert Afeso Akanbi on behalf of Jamparito Ventures Nigeria Limited, the organisation said the training was flagged off at the Oka Skills Acquisition Centre, Ibaka, Oka-Akoko, with out-of-school youths, undergraduates and Master’s students among the beneficiaries.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Jamparito Ventures, Elder A.B. Omosola, commended President Bola Tinubu, the World Bank, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Project Coordination Unit for taking the skills acquisition initiative to the grassroots.
Omosola noted that Jamparito Ventures was one of only two IDEAS-TVET centres in Ondo State, describing the programme as a rare opportunity for youths in Akoko South-West to acquire practical skills that could improve their economic prospects.
He appealed to the NPCU to increase the number of beneficiaries in subsequent cohorts to enable more youths to benefit from the programme. He also called for the integration of technology-driven agribusiness into the initiative to help farmers move from subsistence farming to sustainable enterprises.
Describing the 50 beneficiaries as evidence that “skills have no barrier”, Omosola urged the trainees to focus on acquiring competence rather than merely obtaining certificates.
Declaring the training open, the Guest of Honour, Amb. Roland Omowa, urged the beneficiaries to take the programme seriously, noting that practical skills could create opportunities for them in unexpected places.
Also, the NPCU representative, Mrs Josephine Ona, who represented the National Project Coordinator, Mrs Blessing Ogwu, commended the trainees for embracing the opportunity and charged them to remain committed throughout the programme.
The Olubaka of Oka Kingdom, Oba Dr Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, OON, represented by High Chief Olubodun Boboye, urged the beneficiaries to take the training seriously, stressing that skills had become an important driver of national development.
The President of the Oka Youth Council, Comrade Segun Oladele, commended Jamparito Ventures and its partners for bringing the programme to the community, saying practical skills were essential for employment, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
He pledged the support of the Oka youth to initiatives aimed at equipping young people with relevant skills.
Omosola said the ultimate objective of the programme was to ensure that the beneficiaries left with more than certificates, but with practical skills capable of generating businesses, jobs and improved livelihoods.
