Youths

As unemployment becomes a chorus sung among youth in the nation, DEF/EDC have designed measures to tackle the situation in the country. A gesture well received by youths who are beneficiaries of the scheme provided by the group. By TAIWO AKINTUNDE

Endless effort is required of every individual that eyes the top. However, there is no limitation to becoming whatever the youth chooses to become in their various endeavours. Divcon Educational Foundation Inc. in conjunction with Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) in an effort to reduce massive unemployment in the country, have organised a flag-off of
Entrepreneurship/Skill acquisition program for the jobless youth in Nigeria.

The programme which is considered as a tool for eliminating poverty and generation of entrepreneurs out of vibrant youth of the nation began at the EDC Centre, Obasa, Ikeja Lagos recently and witnessed several youth applied for the programme.
The DEF/EDC programme is diversified into three categories which are; Scholarships to the less privileged in the society from cradle to adulthood, provision of Skill acquisition for the youth by means of entrepreneurial/Vocational training and development so that they can make a
self-sustaining livelihood through the application of the acquired wealth creating skills.
DEF also provides Research and Development of topical issues critical to the enhancement of educational enterprise in Africa. In his speech, President of the DEF, Engr. Andy Ikekhide
said that, “In my welcome address on the 26th of July, 2008 at the Annual Thanksgiving Meeting held at the Divcon Event Centre at Otta, Ogun State, I mentioned the conception of this Educational Foundation.
Its sole objective is fighting illiteracy, ignorance and poverty in Africa by improving the educational and entrepreneurial capacities of our youth so as to empower them to earn a livelihood as well as contribute meaningfully to the society in which they live. 
In respect of the Skill acquisition programme, we are collaborating with Africa Leadership Forum for the training of our Graduate and Non-graduate youth in every quarter of the
year.
“Today is the commencement of the 4-week graduate programme for the first quarter of 2011 and we are hoping to produce a vibrant set of entrepreneurs who will not only set up their own businesses but also employ other youth and by so doing, we believe the issue of unemployment will be reduced,” he said.