Tonye Cole, Bankole Eniola, Others Empower Port-Harcourt Youth At Aiki.Ng Employability & Entrepreneurship Conference | Supported By Cool FM & Wazobia FM
The jobs and employability portal Aiki.ng, powered by The Future Project and Microsoft held another of its offline empowerment programmes in Port Harcourt last week. The Aiki.ng Employability & Entrepreneurship Conference was held at the Atrium Hall on 26 July 2014.
It was presented by Nigeria Dialogue, an organisation aimed to foster a new generation of Nigerians who are committed to solving problems wherever they find themselves.
The conference furthered Aiki.ng's goal of bridging the gap between school and the job market and gathered thousands of recent graduates, undergraduates and other youth across Rivers. It featured hands-on sessions on skill acquisition, entrepreneurship, navigating the employment market and other practical needs.
“A key feature of the program is http://www.aiki.ng a web based Job/training resource centre that aims to provide a guide for young Africans,” said Bukonla Adebakin, who is project associate for The Future Project. “We empower young people in the areas of career planning, skill acquisition, entrepreneurship development, Job sourcing and small business sustainability and this project takes that mission directly to youth across the country.”
Speakers at the conference included Executive Director of Sahara Group, Tonye Cole; Chief Operating Officer of Red Media Africa, Adebola Williams; Founder of Nigeria Dialogue, Eniola Bankole, and Port-Harcourt based speakers that included the Head of Business Development at Suffix Nigeria, Toyin Yussuf and the chief executive officer of Esejets, Reke Okpanobo.
Comedian Dan' D Humuorous also took a session on 'Entertainment as a Business'. “Nigeria Dialogue is focused on driving the conversations and collaborations required to further the Nigerian project on a macro, intellectual level,” said Bankole. “However, we also understand the crucial imperative of meeting the practical needs of Nigeria's teaming youth population, and right now that's jobs and enterprise. It was very productive to take the combined efforts of Nigerians in the diaspora to empower young people in the country.”
The event also featured artisan workshop where participants were divided into sessions to take the training they choose. Trainings included Pastry making, Insecticide/Soap manufacturing, Makeup Artistry and Ankara shoes and bags. Four secondary schools were present at the conference and received free Mathematics and English text books from Nigeria Dialogue to help in their academics.
For more information about Aiki.ng and updates on activities, visit http://www.aiki.ng, follow @aikinigeria or email aiki@thefutureafrica.com. The Future Project can also be reached on http://www.thefutureafrica.com, or @tfaafrica on Twitter and Instagram.
About Aiki Nigeria
Aiki Nigeria is an employability program that seeks to bridge the gap for job seekers, entrepreneurs, artisans and school leavers by providing network of accessible opportunities from various openings. We plan to achieve this by up-skilling young people to meet the requirements set and agreed with employers, eliminating the impasse that usually occurs in recruitment process.
About Red Communication
Red Communication is a PR & Communication firm under the parent company, RED. An innovative media group focused on Africa, RED's vision is to excite and empower an evolving generation through the media's limitless possibilities. Built across tools and platforms, its Communication Division holds Red Communication, Red Marketing and Small & Medium, and YouthConnect; and its Content Division holds the Y! brands, including Y! TV, Y! Magazine, YNaija.com, Teen Y!, Y! 2015, the Y! Tech 100 and the Y! Annual Black Ball/Y! 100 Most Influential List. It also anchors a development firm, The Future Project Africa, which co-presents Africa's leading youth platform, The Future Awards Africa, and other projects including the Nigeria Symposium for Young & Emerging Leaders and The Future Enterprise Support Scheme.