By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
Sagamites Club, a private socio-economic organisation, has kicked off an empowerment scheme to enable 10 start-ups acquire entrepreneurial skills in Ogun State.
Mr Seni Adetu, Sagamites President, stated this at the club’s Leadership Empowerment Conference on Friday in Lagos.
Adetu said the club would empower and finance 10 start-ups with quality entrepreneurial skills to boost employment and reduce societal vices.
According to him, the club dedicated its business support funds to the funding of the would-be-entrepreneurs selected on merit and business proposition.
He stated that the final selection of the beneficiaries was slated for Oct. 27, and that the session would involve mentorship for youths in the environment.
“It is a privilege to support the less-privilege; we are inspired by the fact that we are positioned to be of help in changing the narrative of our community, especially the youths,” Adetu said.
He stated that the club, made up of business executives across sectors of the economy, had taken it upon itself to enrich its community and commercially empower citizens.
“Our commitment to this cause is motivated by our conviction that we have reached a point in our life cycle in Nigeria where the government alone cannot provide all of the economic opportunities required to have self-sustaining citizenry.
“We can blame the government all day long and accuse our youths of being lazy but our view is that, it’s better to spin our situation positively and change the narrative,” Adetu stated.
Adetu said top business leaders in the private and public sectors had been selected to share their career experiences at the event.
He said some of the top busines leaders were Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Mr Segun Ogunsanya of Airtel Nigeria and Mr Fatai Folarin, Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte Nigeria/West Africa, among others.
Also speaking, Engr Funbi Dawodu, Sagamites’ Vice President, said the club was committed to wealth creation and employment generation.
Dawodu said the club was determined to erase the impression of Sagamu as a place with societal vices and position it as an entrepreneurial community.
He said the club, apart from the leadership empowerment initiative, also had a special fund for scholarship.
Dawodu said the Sagamites club was founded in 1972 and had since then been a major force for good works in the Remo community and, indeed, Ogun State. (NAN)