Igbogbo Youths Jubilate As Adeboruwa Donates ICT Equipment to Six Schools

For hundreds of youths and students in Igbogbo Kingdom, the conversation around unemployment moved beyond the usual speeches and statistics on Tuesday as the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, HRM Oba Barr. Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, brought the discussion directly to them.

The monarch also donated ICT equipment to six secondary schools across the kingdom as part of efforts to support education and prepare young people for a changing world.

The youth engagement programme, themed “Curbing the Menace of Unemployment: Causes, Effects and Solutions,” was held at Mickky Onas Hall, Bola Tinubu Road, Igbogbo, as part of activities marking the monarch’s 10th coronation anniversary.

The event brought together students, youths, community residents, government representatives, education stakeholders and resource persons to discuss one of the major challenges confronting young Nigerians.

For the students present, the message was clear: certificates alone may no longer be enough to secure a future in an increasingly competitive economy.

The six schools that received ICT equipment were Community Senior Secondary School, Baiyeku; Zumratul Senior Grammar School, Igbogbo; Oreyo Senior Grammar School, Igbogbo; Lagos State Girls Model College, Agunfoye; Reri Senior Secondary School, Offin; and Lagos State Senior Civil Service Model College, Igbogbo.

The donation is expected to support learning and improve access to digital tools for students within the kingdom.

Welcoming guests, residents, youths and students to the programme, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe said the event reflected the importance the Adeboruwa attaches to education and youth development.

He disclosed that, as part of the activities leading to the anniversary, more than 500 students had also undergone training and mentoring in Computer-Based Test (CBT) preparation for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination.

For a community preparing its young people for the future, the focus on digital learning was particularly significant.

The Adeboruwa, in his remarks, thanked the anniversary planning committee, led by Prince Ogunlewe, a former Head of Service of Lagos State, as well as the Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Omo’ba Hammed Aroyewun, for their contributions to the success of the anniversary activities.

He also appreciated the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Mrs Lolade Olasupo Aina, other guests and the resource persons who participated in the programme.

The monarch urged the youths to take their education seriously while also acquiring practical skills that could help them become self-reliant.

He also encouraged young people to consider agriculture as a viable means of creating employment and contributing to food security.

According to him, farming should no longer be seen only as an occupation for older people, stressing that the sector offers opportunities for young people who are willing to embrace it with innovation and business-mindedness.

The Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Omo’ba Hammed Aroyewun, described the programme as one of the most important activities marking the coronation anniversary.

He said the reason was simple: the future of the community depended on how well its young people were prepared for the challenges ahead.

Aroyewun said unemployment had contributed to economic hardship, insecurity and social problems, including kidnapping, theft and cultism.

He stressed the need for young people to combine formal education with practical skills and productivity.

According to him, certification remains important, but it must be matched with the ability to create value.

The keynote address, delivered on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, also focused on the changing demands of the labour market.

The ministry commended the Adeboruwa for using his coronation anniversary to address an issue directly affecting young people and the wider society.

The keynote speaker described unemployment not simply as the absence of jobs but also as a challenge of value creation.

She noted that while technology, businesses and the labour market had changed significantly, the way many young people were prepared for employment had not changed at the same pace.

She said employers were increasingly looking for people who could solve problems and create value.

The youths were therefore encouraged to develop five key areas described as character, competence, creativity, collaboration and commerce.

The Executive Director of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Mrs Feyisayo Alayande, also urged the youths and students to be intentional about their future.

She introduced the participants to the opportunities available through LSETF, including affordable finance, capacity building, business support, collaboration and assistance with market access.

She encouraged young people with business ideas and existing enterprises to take advantage of the opportunities available to them rather than wait indefinitely for government employment.

A panel session involving representatives of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, as well as agric-industry expert Mrs Arinola Okeowo-Ojediran, further explored the causes and possible solutions to unemployment.

The discussions examined the relationship between education, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship, technology and agriculture.

But at the heart of the event was a message that the Adeboruwa’s 10th coronation anniversary was not only about celebrating the past decade of his reign.

It was also about preparing the next generation.

From the donation of ICT equipment to schools to the training of more than 500 students for CBT examinations and the engagement with hundreds of youths on unemployment, the activities reflected a focus on education, skills and opportunity.

For the students who received the ICT equipment, the impact may be seen in the classrooms.

For the youths who listened to the speakers and participated in the discussions, the bigger challenge now is what they do with the knowledge and opportunities available to them.

And for Igbogbo Kingdom, the anniversary programme provided a reminder that the most important legacy of any reign may not only be the projects built during its time, but also the young people prepared to carry the community into the future.