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Ibeju-Lekki Youths reap benefits of Dangote Refinery vocational Training
Modupe ASUDO
LAGOS-Many indigent youths in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State are now counting their fortunes and reaping the benefits from the first batch of the vocational training programme organized by Dangote Oil Refinery.
So far, some of the youths who took part in the first batch of the programme which started in 2019, have secured jobs with Dangote Oil Refinery Company, while the others are doing well in their various trades.
“Now I can feed myself, pick my bills”, Mr. Balogun Jeleel Owolabi, who is from Epe Local Government Area, boasted as he spoke about the impact of the training on him and family members.
Speaking on his experience so far, Owolabi said that the training he acquired in refrigerator and air conditioner repair from the Dangote Refinery Vocational Training Programme has transformed his life and that of his family members.
According to him, Dangote Refinery offered him employment few months after graduating from the vocational training. “Few months after graduating from the training programme, I was called upon by the company to take up an employment at the project site.”
Owolabi described being offered an employment as the best thing that has ever happened to him. “I am very excited about the job and opportunity to learn more things from the company. My salary has been regular and I can now help my family members from whatever I am earning from the company.”
He encouraged other youths in the community who are feeling reluctant to participate in the training programme to make themselves available as they stand to benefit so much from the programme. “My message to other youths is that they should be serious and have focus. Although, the training may look challenging from the beginning, but at the end of it, they will be glad they did,” he added.
Also, Mr. Lamidi Oladehinde described himself as one of the lucky beneficiaries of the vocational training programme as he has been able to secure a job with the Dangote Refinery. He described the opportunity as ‘life-changing’. “The training has been beneficial in positioning us for success in our community.”
He stated: “I heard about the programme and indicated interest and we were asked to start our training and it lasted for six months. We learnt so many things; we learnt how to manage our business, how to balance our accounts and how to make our business plan. Jobs have been created for our army of unemployed youths by the company. And we are very impressed with Alhaji Aliko Dangote for bringing development, employment and empowerment to Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State.”
Another beneficiary from Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Mr. Opafola Abayomi Olusegun, said he was trained on refrigerator and air-conditioned repair.
According to him, he went further to acquire more skill to be able to function well in his chosen career immediately after the training programme.
Narrating how he got a job at the Dangote Oil Refinery, Olusegun said he got a call from the Refinery to take up a job in the company. “After graduation from the vocational training, I went further to improve my skills in order to gain more experience on my trade. The training I acquired during the programme has impacted my life positively. Through this programme, I have been able to secure a job at Dangote Refinery company.”
He urged Aliko Dangote not to relent in his efforts and investment in youth empowerment programmes. “So many lives have been touched with Dangote vocational training,” he said.
Speaking on the rationale behind the training, Dangote Group Executive Director, Strategy, Capital Projects and Portfolio Development, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, said that the programme is aimed at curbing unemployment among the youths.
According to him, the programme cuts across a wide range of vocational skills including welding, electrical technician, plumbing, auto mechanic, radio and television repairs, refrigerator and AC repairs, building and furniture making.
Edwin said the initiative was in line with the vision of Aliko Dangote, President of the Dangote Group, to provide employment opportunities for youths, especially those found within the company’s host communities.
He said addressing Nigeria’s unemployment crisis requires providing platforms for youths to learn various vocational trades that would enable them to develop themselves and also become employers of labour.
“We know that there are a lot of graduates out there looking for jobs and that is why you should focus and take this training by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) seriously. We will train you; we will equip you, and also ensure that you will be employable or become entrepreneurs”, Edwin added.
Subscribers of DSTV and GOtv in Nigeria have been notified of upcoming service disruptions from Sunday, May 5, to Tuesday, May 7, due to ongoing construction on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
DStv reassured its customers via social media that technical staff will be relocating a facility within the right-of-way to minimize service interruptions during this time.
The statement read, “Our uplink facility will be impacted by the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road construction project. As a result, we are forced to relocate.
“From Sunday, May 5, 2024 to Tuesday May 7, 2024, our technical team will be working tirelessly to relocate and minimise disruptions during the exercise.
“We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period and remain dedicated to delivering the quality service and support you expect from DStv and GOtv.”
A Delta State High Court in Effurun has ruled in favor of the Registered Trustees of the Neo-Black Movement of Africa, awarding them N30 million in damages in a libel case against popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji.
The lawsuit, with Ese Kakor, Felix Kupa, and Mayor Onyebueke as claimants, resulted in the court ordering Ikeji to pay N300,000 in litigation costs.
Presiding Justice Roli Daibo-Harriman delivered the verdict in Suit No: EHC/210/2021 on Monday.
Additionally, Ikeji was instructed to publish a retraction of the libellous statements on her blog and in national dailies.
Furthermore, Ikeji has been restrained from making further damaging publications against the claimants.
The Neo-Black Movement of Africa (NBM) took the legal action against Linda Ikeji after she allegedly failed to retract and apologize for a defamatory article published on her blog on October 19, 2021.
The article reportedly labeled the NBM of Africa as a dreaded cult group, black axe, and criminal organization, prompting the claimants to seek N1 billion in damages and an unreserved apology to be published on Ikeji’s blog and in two national newspapers.
Justice Daibo-Harriman, in her ruling, deemed the terms “dreaded cultist group,” “black axe,” and “criminal organization” used in the Defendant’s publication as defamatory.
Kelvin Agbroko, Counsel to the Claimants, emphasized that the ruling “Will serve as a lesson to bloggers that it is not every item you publish. It is good to verify information before making a publication.”
He said, “NBM of Africa is a legal organisation duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission. The publication made by the Defendant against my client has been cleared that it was a damaging publication.
“NBM is good to go, we are going to take all necessary steps to enforce the terms of the judgment against her. It was an erudite judgement that is all-encompassing and will be difficult to fault.”
Ese Kakor, President of the NBM of Africa, revealed that the legal proceedings regarding the case had been ongoing for approximately two years.
Kakor expressed his dismay at Linda Ikeji’s actions, stating, “What Ikeji did was just to sell in a bid to defame the character of NBM of Africa. It is very wrong.”
He advised other bloggers against following similar steps, cautioning that they may also face litigation for defamation.
Kakor clarified that the NBM of Africa has no association with cultism, black axe, or criminal activities, emphasizing that it is a well-registered organization.
In a shocking turn of events, Gihan Mbelu, the esteemed chairman of Victoria Garden City in Lagos’s bustling Lekki area, was found lifeless inside his vehicle.
His sudden demise has prompts police inquiry into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death.
The 42-year-old financial luminary and venture capitalist was found unconscious in his opulent C300 4Matic vehicle around 10:10 am on Friday, April 26, 2024.
According to report, Mbelu was swiftly transported to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where a doctor on duty confirmed his unfortunate demise.
Meanwhile, concerned individuals took it upon themselves to examine his vehicle, which had been running for hours at the spot where it was parked.
The post reads “Concerned by the discovery, some of the people in the area, upon close observation of the vehicle, found Mbelu in it.
“While some people speculated that the 42-year-old man might be sleeping, some other persons, who were bent on ascertaining Mbelu’s true state, reportedly made frantic efforts to wake him up but it proved abortive.
“In a bid to rescue Mbelu, it was learnt that he was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital where he was reportedly confirmed dead by one of the doctors on duty.
“Mbelu’s corpse was said to have been deposited in the hospital’s morgue. The case was also reported to the police for an investigation to commence to ascertain the circumstances surrounding Mbelu’s death.”
Prior to his demise, Mbelu was married to Eloho, a distinguished tech entrepreneur, former investment banker, and private equity investor. Together, they are parents to two daughters.
In response to the news, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the state police command, affirmed the incident on Saturday, April 27, disclosing that an investigation has been launched into the matter.
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