By Florencemary Nwabueze
In a significant push to combat youth unemployment in Nigeria, the ARS Entrepreneurship Empowerment Foundation has graduated 70 young Nigerians on Saturday and provide startup tools for them following a successful 12-week intensive training programme.
ARS Foundation was established in memory of Ajibade Rereloluwa Sharon, a vibrant young entrepreneur who passed away at the age of 18, on June 6, 2023, which is also her younger sister's birthday. Sharon, a student of Bowen University, ran an online store, "Shop with Rere," and was passionate about mini-importation. The foundation was created to honour her legacy and inspire other young people.
Speaking at the event, Rev. Solomon Ajibade, pastor of New Estate Baptist Church, Chairman of the foundation and father of the late Sharon said the initiative would directly tackle unemployment.
"The small initiative that we give the awardees is going to help the issue of unemployment in the country," Rev. Ajibade stated.
"Once the individuals that we have trained and awarded after the 12 weeks are able to establish themselves, they will create a market which will benefit others too. Each of them will impact more people."
He explained that while the training is currently an annual programme, the vision is to grow into an institution that runs year-round. "We gave those who went through the training, and whom we interviewed and certified, equipment to establish themselves. Some were given machines and other equipment," he said, adding that funding currently comes from friends, family, and donations via their website and Instagram page.
Mrs. Olanike Oluwatoye Ajibade, the Executive Director of the foundation and mother of the late Sharon, revealed that the foundation was born out of profound grief.
"The foundation was an initiative given to us by God after we lost her three years ago. The pain was so much that we had to turn to God," she said.
"She was a promised child, a child I had after five years of waiting. God said we should do something in honour of her name, and that is how this foundation came up."
Mrs. Ajibade shared that Sharon had been an entrepreneur from the age of eight. She encouraged parents to support their children's innate skills.
"There might be hundreds of her out there. When the application came out, we saw people of 57, 60 years. Should we push those people away? No. God is asking us to reach out, not only to young people again," she said.
Looking to the future, she appealed to the government and private organisations for partnership, funding, and trust, noting that financial constraints remain a major challenge.
The training coordinator, Mrs. Adebukola Koka, told Vanguard that while over 100 people registered, 70 ultimately graduated. The programme offered classes in catering, shoe and bag making (leather craft), tie and dye, fascinator making, makeup, craft and tailoring.
"The grants we give out are not financial grants. For someone exceptional in makeup, we buy the materials needed to start. For tailoring, we bought sewing machines. For catering, we bought mixers and rolling pins," she explained.
She noted that a key challenge was convincing younger participants to attend business classes on product packaging, pricing, and online sales, which are crucial for commercial success.
The guest speaker, Mrs. Labo Kareem, urged the graduates to embrace rest, market research, consistency, and quality. "Be consistent in the quality of your products. When your quality of job is top-notch, you stay there and do not change. Use the power of consistency to keep your customers," she advised.
One of the awardees, Ms. Onyinlola Emmanuel Obot, who learned how to make souvenirs, phone stands, and flower pots, expressed her gratitude. "I am grateful to the foundation for teaching me for free something that costs more than N100,000 to learn out there," she said.
Another graduate, 18-year-old Goodluck Sharon, a student at the University of Lagos, said: "After the 12 weeks of rigorous training, I am able to do a lot of things I could not do before. I learned how to make different recipes, from chocolate cake to velvet cake. This will help me a lot financially as a student."
Rev. Solomon Ajibade, in his vote of thanks, specially acknowledged Mrs. Oyewole, whom he described as a mother to the foundation, and Venerable Sobu, a matron, for their financial support.
Deaconess Funmi also warned the graduates against taking the free training for granted, urging them to make good use of the skills acquired.
The foundation has announced plans to acquire its own building in the future to accommodate trainees from distant locations and expand its reach across the country.