Kunle Adelabu
The former Minister for Works, Sir (Sen). Dr Adeseye Ogunlewe, has stated that the future is in the ICT, Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and therefore, charged the youths to embrace them.
Ogunlewe said this at the first graduation ceremony of Dr Akinola Ogunlewe’s STEAM Education Centre, off the Ogunlewe Avenue, Igbogbo, on Saturday, September 16, 2023, where he was a special guest of honour.
A total of 28 pioneer students of the centre were presented with certificates at the ceremony.
Senator Ogunlewe, in his remarks at the ceremony, said that the centre was created to make young students in Igbogbo, have access to computer education which is the future.
He charged them on the need to face their education, especially computer which he enjoined them to embrace to be self employed and relevant in future.
“We are doing this to engage the young in computer education, and to make the youths computer literate, because that is where the world is going”, Senator Ogunlewe said.
“You must be very serious with the study, and don’t think that because it is free that you can do as you deemed fit. Ensure that you build your foundation on this, because if you do, you will never regret it and will have no reason to look for job, because that is where the world is going.
“There is nothing that you cannot do with computer. You can perform all kinds of work from your room, and people will be looking for you”, he added.
Ogunlewe, who is the Chairman of Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group (IDRDG), a platform which has also initiated an innovation centre and e- library, while appreciating the students and their parents for developing interest in the computer training, also charged that the country should invest more on computer training.
“I want to plead with you to take this study very serious. I appreciate you for coming for this study. This is just the first stage. You still have to go through other stages and later go to the University and thereafter, become self – employed”, Sen. Ogunlewe said.
“This is the future. The future is in the ICT, Technology, innovation, entrepreneurship. That is what Nigeria should identify and build the children on, so that we can match any the country in the world.
“Children, please, don’t ever ignore education. Make sure that you are serious and that you learn a lot in the area of computer. God will be with you and make you pride to your family and Nigeria. Congratulations.
“I also want to thank the parents for allowing your parents to come for this lesson”.
Hon. Olayinka Ogunlaja, Coordinator, Dr Akinola Ogunlewe STEAM Education Centre, speaking on the training, said that participants wholeheartedly embraced the training.
“The training here meant everything to the students here. A lady said in the class that she knew next to nothing as far as computer is concerned, but with the privilege of coming to this centre, she can now boast that she is a computer literate and can now do series of things with computer”, he said.
“In fact, the frame that she presented today was designed by her. In a nutshell, she has become an entrepreneur with just this three months training”.
Ogunlaja, who said that training the participants gave him joy, also added that it would take them off social vices which are rampant.
“There is nothing more to gain in life than, when people behind are having the privileges that you did not enjoy which will make life better for them. This is why we are putting in more efforts into making them a better generation than ours”, he said.
“If you look at it generally, social vices have taking over, but if we can make efforts in this little way, this training will take them off social vices and with this, they can take upon the world”.
One of the participants, Yakub Olaide Ajayi, a 14-year-old student of Oreyo Junior Grammar School, Igbogbo, said that he gained a lot from the centre.
“I have gained many things. We were taught how to use Microsoft words and how to design letter head paper which I thought that I cannot do, but to my surprise, I was able to design it on my own, and also able to do many things, same with others. We were also asked to design computer keyboard which we did”, she said.
“I have been able to gain many things and without computer, I am not sure that we will be okay in Nigeria. The study of computer has helped me in many ways.
“I want to thank the sponsor of this programme. He should continue with it, because it is a good programme. God will always protect him”, she said.
Moses Olanubi, a 22 year old former student of El – Supreme Private School , described the training as excellent.
“The centre did not just trained us, but also gave us certification. We had excellent training here, especially for many that did not have the opportunity before now, and it is free”, he said.
“All of us graduating today took the training very important, because we realise that ICT is very crucial looking at the way that the world is going”.
Shonubi Emmanuel Abiodun, who said that he was doubtful of the quality of training at the centre because it was free, also commended the knowledge that he acquired at the centre.
“I was doubtful of the quality of training because I was told that it was free, but when I got here, the instructor took us into some concepts that made me felt wow, especially multi – computer that I have knowledge about”, he said.
“So, I am grateful that at this point that I am a computer literate. Before now, I knew nothing about microsoft words, adope, excel and power point among others. We were also taught how to do names scrolling of producers, cast and others, that are usually displayed before or after a movie.
“We are very grateful to the man behind it, because if not for him, I will not be able to learn what I have acquired”.
Various dignitaries at the occasion also commended the initiative.
