No fewer than two hundred beneficiaries have successfully completed a three-month intensive vocational and skills acquisition programme under the collaborative initiative between the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Ogbomoso Job Creation and Empowerment Committee.
The programme is a flagship component of the 25-Year Development Agenda for Ogbomoso championed by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Soun Orumogege III.
Launched in April 2025, the initiative aims to empower 240 indigenes of Ogbomosoland with sustainable entrepreneurial skills. The graduation and product exhibition ceremony was held Thursday at the Soun’s palace grounds and drew several traditional rulers and dignitaries from across the region.
Retired Air Vice Marshal Jacob Bolaji Adigun, Chairman of the Empowerment Committee and Akogun of Ogbomosoland, described the programme as a turning point in the economic transformation of the area. “The train is now on the move,” he declared, lauding the Soun’s vision which is already yielding tangible results.
Drawn from the five local government areas of the Ogbomoso zone, the trainees received expert instruction in various trades including textile production (adire and aso oke), baking, ICT (software development, web design, and data analysis), fashion design, catering/event planning, and the production of household and industrial cleaning products. Out of over 2,000 applicants, 200 were selected for this first batch, with more cohorts planned over the next few years.
AVM Adigun noted that the programme was structured to equip participants not just with technical know-how, but also with the entrepreneurial mindset needed to thrive in competitive markets.
He extended appreciation to the BOI for its financial and technical assistance, and to Hon. Mulikat Akande-Adeola for providing the Jokodolu Foundation Skill Acquisition Centre in Aroje as the training venue.
In his address, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye stressed the importance of education and vocational training in tackling the country’s high unemployment rate. He assured that the BOI funding would support the programme over three years, with potential for expansion based on prudent management and demonstrable impact.
The monarch also charged the graduands to be role models and worthy ambassadors of the programme.
Delivering a keynote titled “From Passion to Profit: Turning Ideas into Sustainable Economic Freedom,” Rev’d Niyi Adebayo, Lead Pastor of True Worshippers Church, offered practical business insights, urging graduands to be innovative, maintain integrity, seek mentorship, and rely on faith.
The event featured an exhibition of products made by the trainees, live demonstrations, and certificate presentations. Graduands like Adigun Babatope, who trained in household and industrial cleaning production, described the experience as life-changing. “Before this, I had no skill and was just hustling. Now, I have something concrete to build my life on,” he shared.
Adio Olayemi, unit governor of the cleaning products team, also highlighted the professionalism of the facilitators and confirmed that each trainee received a N10,000 monthly transport allowance throughout the training period.
With preparations underway for the second batch, the programme is being widely praised as a bold and effective step toward youth empowerment and sustainable development in Ogbomosoland.
