By Seun Ibiyemi
The Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation (AAAF), the corporate social responsibility arm of SIFAX Group, in partnership with the World Bank, has trained over 90 students of State Senior Secondary School, Oyewole, Agege, in Orile Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State on practical technology skills.
The training programme, held under the foundation’s ongoing Community Connections Campaign Projects across Nigeria, was designed to equip students with relevant digital competencies to enhance their educational development, improve job prospects, and promote long-term self-reliance.
Participants were exposed to key areas such as computer literacy, machine learning, and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Representatives were drawn from different classes within the school, with the expectation that they would cascade the knowledge gained to their peers.
Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Coordinator of AAAF, Mrs. Foluke Ademokun, said the intervention forms part of sustained efforts to tackle youth unemployment and bridge the skills gap in the country.
“This initiative is part of a series of efforts to address the issue of youth unemployment and skills gap in the country. It is expected to benefit not only the students but also the community at large, as they will be able to apply the skills acquired to improve their lives and contribute to the economic development of their communities,” she said.
Responding on behalf of the school management, the Vice Principal, Mrs. Sherifat Ajala, commended the foundation for what she described as excellent facilitation and for giving students the opportunity to engage with experienced facilitators.
“On behalf of the school management and all these students, I want to say a big thank you to Ajoke Ayisat Afolabi Foundation and their sponsor, the SIFAX Group, for the good works they have done in the lives of our students and for the wonderful gift. May the Lord Almighty continue to bless you,” she said.
Two of the participating students, Goodluck Innocent and Moses Faith, were rewarded for outstanding class participation. They later expressed appreciation on behalf of their colleagues for the opportunity to acquire skills that would enhance their future employability.
At the end of the training session, the foundation donated a projector, a laptop and a projector screen to the school, in line with its tradition of supporting beneficiary schools with learning tools.
Other schools that have benefited from similar empowerment programmes include Community Grammar School, Zion Pepe, Ondo State; Osolu Senior Secondary School, Badagry; Pobuna Senior Grammar School, Epe; Baptist Model College, Ile-Epo; Ijaiye-Ojokoro Senior High School, Ifako-Ijaiye; and Unity Senior College, Alimosho.
With the latest intervention, the total number of students empowered through the foundation’s initiative has risen to nearly 600.
