Kwara State Commissions Vocational Centre

The Kwara State government has commissioned a vocational centre in Agbonda, Irepodun local government area of the state.

The project, according to the executive director of the state Agency for Mass Literacy,Mr Babatunde Alade, was built to check rural-urban migration and enhance standard of living of the people.

He noted that the centre was also meant to improve the literacy level of the people of the community, political participation and the economic well being of the people.

Speaking at the commissioning of the centre, which was financed in collaboration with UNESCO and held near the palace of Alapa of Agbonda, Alade said the present administration upon assumption of office, prioritized skill acquisition and vocational training.

He noted that the government has been in forefront of prevailing on teeming youth and adult illiterates in the state to acquire modern skills in the vocation of their choice to become self-reliant.

The director challenged community leaders to encourage people to enroll in the available programmes while also securing facilities provided at the centre to ensure that they are well utilized and maintained.

He assured prompt payment of instructors at the centre with a view to boost their morale.
"In pursuance of the government objective, the agency for mass education worked in collaboration with Irepodun local government area and the community to create this centre, which I believe would improve the literacy level of the community, improve their political participation and their economic being."

Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the state governor on Adult Education, Alh. Alabi Taiwo said the government was committed to turning illiterates to literates through desirable skill acquisition programmes.

He stated that the opening of the centre would also afford jobless graduates in the area the privilege to learn vocational works and called for proper use of the equipment at the centre.

The governor's aide also urged Irepodun local council to open more vocational centres in the local government for economic development of the people, saying "if people are literate, they liberated."

In his remarks, the chairman, state agency for mass literacy education, Chief Bode Adekanye who also equipped the centre with a sewing machine, described the centre as one of the government';s numerous projects, which were targeted at improving the standard of living of the people.

Also speaking, the Alapa of Agbonda, Oba Johnson Tejumola Iranloye thanked the state government for its support to his community and promised that the centre would be well secured for the benefit of trainees.