Youths Enterprise Development and Innovation Society (YEDIS), in partnership with Elites Club of Aagba, organized a one-day Entrepreneurship and Capacity-Building Workshop titled ‘Enhancing Entrepreneurial Skills of Young Artisans in the Aagba Community, Osun State, Nigeria, on 9 March 2024 from 9 am to 6 pm. Aagba is among marginalized communities in Osun State, with many skillful young artisans who need quality education, adequate infrastructure, and substantive resources to advance their businesses, decent jobs, and achieve economic development.
The well-accomplished program valued over 2.1 million Naira ($1500) through donations and in-kind support from YEDIS, Elites Club of Aagba, and partners. The Elites Club of Aagba mobilized the participants, printed the 250 application forms, provided a venue, chairs, tables, and lunch, printed 150 certificates of attendance, organized media coverages, and donated N750,000 ($536). In addition, King Alaagba of Aagbaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rufus Olayinka Ogunwole Kuujosin 1, donated the sum of N250,000 ($178), making N1,000,000 ($714) grants to 20 raffle draw winners among the participating artisans to develop their business.
Video Link; https://youtube.com/shorts/9hCuRngWZlI?si=GZzEjyjyyxQAa22B
A YEDIS Partner’s Company, Afro Pride Art Collection, located at Station Road, Osogbo, donated 130 packs of YALE bread valued at N390,000 ($278), each containing ten pieces distributed among all the participants as gifts.
Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/35YoH82E1Nk?si=dyrPmsl4cg_kcd8x
YEDIS provided the technical facilities, including projectors, generators, fuel, public address systems, photography and video coverage, advertisement, newspaper reports, training items, facilitators’ honorarium, and social media promotion. The YEDIS seven team and three volunteers facilitated the event with intensive training through interactive presentation, participants’ teamwork, business plan development, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital skills, the effect of climate change on business, venture funding sources, and other innovative lectures for inclusive and community economic development.
The workshop focused on impacting the Aagba young artisans with the requisite knowledge in national and global networking links, marketing fundamentals, product branding, digital technology applications, exploration of local resources, leadership skills, team building, and business proposal writing. YEDIS trained in English and Yoruba (participants’ mother language) to ensure proper interactions and a deeper understanding of the workshop goals.
Participation at the event was free and focused on the entrepreneurship development of underserved young artisans and traders for their economic growth. The participants were 76 young women and girls and 52 men. The participant’s trade areas are plumbing, electrical installation and repairs, computer and phone repairs, bricklaying, plumbing, tiling, Plaster of Paris (POP) work, welding and fabrication, merchandising, shoemaking/leather works, house aluminium works, painting, photography, computer business centre, farming, hairstyling, and fashion designing.
Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/0I13GiY584I?si=hj9YqPZFTjzp4f6h
YEDIS Executive Director Rafiu Akinpelu Olaore opined that collaboration between community leaders, government, and civil society organizations would be needed to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030. He reiterated the challenges facing young people in marginalized communities, both inadequate infrastructure and digital divides, and pleaded for adequate support. Rafiu Olaore suggested that the underserved Nigerian youth can innovatively develop business initiatives for the nation’s economic and sustainable development if they have access to the resources, opportunities, and a conducive environment. He narrated the YEDIS contributions to the youths’ gainful employment, primarily young women and girls, and community development since the launch of the NGO in February 2020. Rafiu Olaore emphasizes the need to invest in agriculture by supporting young farmers for food security, zero hunger, and reducing poverty. He stated that YEDIS would continue to engage the participants to evaluate and assess their performances to assist them further.
In his reaction to the increasing rate of youth unemployment and food scarcity, the Aagba community Monarch, HRM King Rufus Olayinka Ogunwole Kuujosin 1, appeals to the Government to provide tractors for agricultural development and mechanized farming tools to the youth for gainful employment, food security, poverty reduction, and zero hunger. King Rufus Ogunwole stated that the young people could no longer implement primitive farming and claimed that the marginalized communities do not feel the impact of the Government’s efforts in agricultural development due to sabotage by some government officials. He commended the YEDIS Executive Director Rafiu Olaore for his initiatives to advance the entrepreneurial attitudes of underprivileged young people.
The Elites Club of Aagba president Obafemi Okediya emphasized the need to prioritize youth employment and advised the participants to utilize the entrepreneurial and skills development opportunities provided by YEDIS.
Video Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/0I13GiY584I?si=vQ7hGY4z-ZHZhEj5
Dignitaries and special guests at the workshop include Osun State Government Officials, Hon. Rasheed Aderibigbe (Honourable Commissioner for Home Affairs), Hon. Bayo Ogungbangbe (Honourable Commissioner for Cooperatives and Empowerment), and Chief Host, Hon Soji Ajeigbe (Commissioner for Government Affairs and Protocol). His royal Majesty, Oba Rufus Olayinka Ogunwole Kuujosin 1, the Alaagba of Aagba, was the Royal Father of the Day. Other dignitaries include Chief Rafiu Olaore, YEDIS founder and executive director, Chief Obafemi Okediya, president of the Elites Club of Aagba, and his club members and eminent personalities.
Rafiu Olaore appreciated Mr Patrick Ilori (YEDIS Regional Coordinator in Europe) for donating N75,000 ($55) towards logistics and the YEDIS vibrant team for their selfless services, insightful presentation, and proper coordination of the activities, in the person of Mr Ogunrinade Ranti, Mr Ola Timothy, Mrs Oyeniyi Kemi, Mrs Alaje Grace, Mr Oluwaseun Owojori, Mrs Olaniyan Dorcas, Miss Rafiat Olaore, Miss Waliyat Oyerinde, Mr Waheed Adeoye, Mr Abass Opeyemi, Miss Kareemah Olaore, Mr Taiwo Oladele, Mrs Mary Adebayo and other stakeholders.
Moreover, Rafiu Olaore salutes the courage and motivation of YEDIS members and well-wishers who constantly support, comment on, and like YEDIS posts.
About YEDIS.
Youths Enterprise Development and Innovation Society (YEDIS) is a grassroots youth-serving nongovernmental organization headquartered in Osogbo, Nigeria. YEDIS promotes entrepreneurship education, youth employment, gender equality, and community development.
YEDIS is an organization member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solution Network (UN_SDSN) – Youth Initiative, Member of the United Nations Global Impact, Member of the World Bank Group Civil Society Policy Forum and others.
For more information about YEDIS, go to https://yedis.org.
Email: info@yedis.org.
Whatsapp: +2347054997660.