- Adebutu urged greater investment in vocational training and youth entrepreneurship
- He called for affordable funding and mentorship for young business owners
- Adebutu said empowering youths would help create jobs and strengthen the economy
Ladi Adebutu, the 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, has called for stronger investment in vocational education, entrepreneurship and accessible financing as measures to reduce youth unemployment and strengthen Nigeria’s economy.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that Adebutu made the call on Tuesday at the fifth anniversary celebration of the Agbaletu Progressive Movement, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.
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The event featured the empowerment of about 100 young people through vocational training and educational assistance.
The PDP candidate said tackling unemployment required a deliberate effort by government, individuals and philanthropic organisations to equip young Nigerians with practical skills, mentorship and financial support.
He stressed that access to affordable capital was particularly important for young entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking to establish or expand their ventures.
Adebutu said financial support would have greater impact when combined with proper mentorship, capacity building and relevant skills development.
He noted that creating an environment where legitimate businesses could grow would help stimulate economic activity, create jobs and reduce unemployment.
According to him, young Nigerians should be supported to transform viable business ideas into sustainable enterprises rather than depending entirely on formal employment.
He said investment in the younger generation was essential to Nigeria’s economic development and long-term prosperity.
Also speaking at the event, Mrs Adenike Adebutu, wife of the PDP governorship candidate and Life Matron of the Agbaletu Progressive Movement, encouraged parents to combine formal education with vocational training for their children.
She argued that academic qualifications alone might not adequately prepare young people for the realities of the Nigerian economy.
Adenike urged parents to expose their children to practical skills such as tailoring, catering, hairdressing, information technology and other forms of vocational training.
She said acquiring a practical skill should complement, rather than diminish, the value of formal education, adding that such skills could help young people become financially independent.
She also advised youths not to limit their ambitions to white-collar employment, noting that entrepreneurship and vocational careers could create jobs for others while providing sustainable livelihoods.
The President and Founder of the Agbaletu Progressive Movement, Samson Oguntoyinbo, said the organisation had supported more than 100 people in gaining university admission and had also assisted beneficiaries with WAEC and NECO programmes.
Oguntoyinbo disclosed that 150 people were undergoing vocational training as part of the anniversary activities, with about 50 participants set to graduate from different skills programmes.
He said the training covered areas including tailoring, carving, baking, hairdressing and other entrepreneurial activities designed to promote self-reliance.
Beyond education and vocational development, Oguntoyinbo said the organisation had also carried out healthcare initiatives, including medical outreach programmes and the distribution of drugs within the community.
He described the organisation’s five-year journey as a significant achievement and thanked its members, supporters and other stakeholders for helping sustain its humanitarian programmes.
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