ACCOLADES FOR AROGUNDADE AS UNLOCK PROGRAMME ENDS IN GRAND STYLE

It was accolades galore at the weekend for the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education (SSAP-TVEE), Madam Abiola Arogundade, as the UNLOCK Training Programmefinally ended with a flourish.

The programme, which began in early March with a six-week Campaign during which Nigerian youths with skills were tasked to record a one-minute video of such skills, their future plans to develop them and how government could help them in realizing their plans, graduated into a ten-day physical and online training for shortlisted candidates on how to write a business plan, ending with the shortlisting of 120 best Business Plan writers who would each win N500,000 grant, among other benefits.

At the grand Graduation/Awards ceremony, which took place at the Office of the SSAP-TVEE in Abuja to celebrate the end of the programme, a total of 200 people, comprising 120 of those who participated in the training programme and submitted Business Plans and entrepreneurs being honoured for their promotion of TVET in the country, received a total of N100 million grants with some also going home with Solar Kiosks.

Showering the accolades on the SSAP-TVEE were distinguished guests who graced the grand occasion. They included the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Chairman, House of Representative Committee on Students’ Loans and Tertiary Education, Hon. Adegboyega Nasir Isiaka, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Hon. Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf Sununu and Hon. Minister of State for Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande, among numerous others.

In his goodwill message at the occasion, Hon. Isiakadescribed Madam Arogundade as a woman with incredible zeal, intelligence and drive saying in his various interactions with her he has found her to be committed in the drive to promote technical and vocational education among the youths in the country.

The Committee  Chairman, who also described the SSA-TVEE as a great networker, said his joining the House about a year ago coincided with the appointment of Madam Arogundade, adding “When I met her, I met a woman with incredible zeal, incredible intelligence, incredible drive and we started working together and sharing materials”, adding that she was also a great networker.

Also speaking in the same vein while delivering her goodwill message, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, described Madam Arogundadeas an outstanding woman who has the passion to uplift the poor and the less privileged in the society.

The Minister, who was obviously elated at the occasion declared, “She has shown us that she is a mother, she thought about the less privileged people, she thought about the suffering masses”, then turning to the TVEE boss she said, “You have really heed the voice of the President and uplifted the poor to allow them to breathe. I am very proud of you. You have done well my darling”.

In his own goodwill message, the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf  Sununu, emphasized on the need for integrity and trust in the affairs of governance pointing out that Madam Arogundade had demonstrated both by keeping her promise she made to the participants of the UNLOCK Training programme. “I join the others to congratulate Madam Abiola for promise fulfilled”, he said.

Others who gave goodwill messages and testimonies at the occasion included Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and Hon. Minister of State for Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Olawande, as well as well as participants all of whomextolled the commitment of the SSAP-TVEE to TVET development in the country.

Earlier, in her welcome address, Madam Arogundade explained that the 120 beneficiaries of the grant were “Freshers” while the 80 awardees were those already in business who needed support to boost their businesses.

Recalling the several processes that led to the Graduation/Award ceremony, the SSAP-TVEE said aside the grants and the Solar Kiosks, the Participants were given NBTE approved Certificate of Completion.