It was an eventful packed day at the Bode Amoo Hall of Ibadan House on Tuesday where the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) hosted the Ibadan Youth Day Conference on the theme “Bridging Unemployment Gap: The Role of Mandatory Entrepreneurship and Vocational Training in Ibadanland”, the youth from Ibadan were gathered in large numbers with exclusive revelations of untold success stories and mind blowing lectures centered on the benefits of youth entrepreneurship and vocational training to attaining life successes and subsequent growth and development of their different communities.
The well attended conference was met with brilliant minds and dignitaries both as audiences, lecturers and special guests of the occasion who were on seat to add values and support to the development of the youth demography through mentorship and impactful contributions with their various experiences and business ideas while moving up the success ladder in life.
The President General of the CCII, Chief Ajeniyi Suleiman Ajewole was the father of the day who set the ball rolling with the welcome address after Chief Abiola Alli, the Chairman, Ibadan Week Planning Committee had given the opening speech for the program. Chief Ajewole in his words encouraged all present to visit and register at the recently commissioned Kola Daisi Entrepreneurship and Vocational Training center which the CCII has provided for the benefits of the Ibadan youth to acquire skill and training across various careers.
Bameeko of Ibadan and CEO Erudite Groups, Chief Saheed Oladele who was the chairman of the occasion expressed his heartfelt appreciation for youth development across Oyo State. He briefed the audience of his invaluable impact on the youth demography with his relentless commitment through scholarships and other forms of support from his educational institute to achieving individual life successes. He also charged the youth to believe and aspire for greatness in all their businesses.
The deputy Vice Chancellor of the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Prof Iyiola Tella gave an insightful opening to the theme of the occasion with the keynote address before Prof Oyedunni S. Arulogun, the Vice Chancellor of Chrisland University, Abeokuta and former director, center for entrepreneurship and innovation from the University of Ibadan took the audience through her experience in the art of learning, innovation and value addition. She emphasised the importance of engaging the youth in entrepreneurship training along with other innate skills in businesses to increase patronage and sales, “to be successful in our various vocational trainings we must also learn to add value and proffer meaningful solutions to increase patronage and sales.”
Ibadan Tech Expo Organiser and ICT Expert, Hon Danjuma Balogun also took the youth through his success story in the tech world and other businesses he attempted, inline with his stepwise rise to becoming successful across different business terrains. He advised the youth on the importance of learning a trade or business, he urged them to be audacious that success only comes to those who attempt to fail.
Hon Yusuf Adebisi Currency was also on hand to share his rich experience in the Oyo State House of Assembly, how he became the youngest state assembly member in the history of Oyo State and how he rose to attain success in other businesses in life.
There was also the award recognition segment where the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Youth Initiative Monitoring and Delivery) Hon Titilope Gbadamosi; the General Manager of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), Commander Adeoye Ayoade Kola; and Chief Kazeem Owolabi, the soon to be Mogaji of Shogade Compound were all decorated with an award of excellence for the support to youth development, empowerment and progress.
At the end of the program, the youth conference committee, comprising Princess Bukola Akanni (Chairman), Prince Oluwatobi Adisa (Secretary), Dr. Adetunji I. Lawal, Hon Ojekunle Wasiu Olanrewaju and Dr. Kassim O. Badmus as committee members, expressed their sincere appreciation to all the invited guests and lecturers who contributed immensely to the success of the conference and they particularly directed their immense gratitude to Prince Adebowale Falana, the Chairman of the Oyo State Agency for Youth Development for his huge support through the entire period of preparation ahead of the event and also to Mogaji Salaudeen Kamaldeen, the chairman of PROTAAN, Oyo State chapter.
