Prince Michael Atobatele Foundation (PMAF) has empowered 70 persons with sewing machines, sterilizers, gas cookers, makeup bags, beads and hair dryers, to help them establish or expand their businesses.

The beneficiaries were drawn from the Lagos State Government’s skills acquisition centres and the National Youth Service Corp members in Lagos.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Women Development and Poverty Alleviation, Cecilia Dada said the skills acquisition and empowerment were essential to promoting economic independence and reducing poverty, noting that the state government provides tuition-free vocational training through its skills acquisition centres across the five administrative divisions of Lagos.

Dada commended the foundation for selecting and empowering the beneficiaries from the ministry’s training centres, describing the initiative as a valuable complement to government’s efforts to equip residents with practical skills.

She urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the equipment and apply the skills they had acquired to improve their livelihoods.

“These equipment’s can make you independent. These equipment’s can change your status for life,” she said.

The commissioner encouraged the beneficiaries to remain committed and determined, noting that people who had acquired vocational skills and received similar support had gone on to establish businesses and become employers of labour.

She also called on well-meaning Nigerians to support charitable initiatives that improve lives, stressing that such interventions could help families become self-sufficient and contribute to the growth of the economy.

Dada said the ministry’s support for the foundation was primarily through the identification and selection of beneficiaries. She explained that the foundation visits the government’s skills acquisition centres, conducts interviews and aptitude tests, and selects deserving trainees.

She added that the partnership demonstrated how government and private organisations could work together to promote skills development and economic empowerment.

Also speaking, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation and Chairman of Greensprings School, Lagos, commended the founder, Princess Toyin Atobatele, said the foundation had helped ensure that Prince Michael Atobatele’s memory was associated not only with loss and sorrow, but also with giving, service and positive impact.

The board chairman disclosed that the foundation had impacted more than 500 lives since its establishment, describing the achievement as a remarkable legacy built around the life of one individual.

She commended Princess Atobatele and her daughters for their dedication to sustaining the foundation’s activities and appreciated the individuals who had supported its work over the years.

She urged participants and beneficiaries to live purposeful lives, continue learning and make positive contributions to their communities.

Guest speaker urges purposeful living
The guest speaker, Olubunmi Ibitayo, popularly known as Eto’o Grace, called on individuals to live purposeful lives and make meaningful contributions to their families and society.

Ibitayo said the 10th anniversary of Prince Michael Atobatele’s passing should be an opportunity not only to mourn but also to celebrate a life worthy of remembrance.

Speaking on the theme of impact, she encouraged participants to look beyond material possessions and consider the legacy they would leave behind.

She urged the audience to take responsibility for their lives and recognise the influence they could have on others, stressing that every individual had the potential to make a positive difference.
The founder of the foundation, Princess Toyin Atobatele, said the past decade had been marked by the pain of losing her son and the determination to keep his memory alive through charitable work.

She explained that the foundation’s beneficiaries were not selected arbitrarily, but through assessments conducted at Lagos State skills acquisition centres.

“We do assessment for them. We don’t just pick them. We do assessment. We go to their school, do assessment and pick the best,” she said.

Atobatele noted that the foundation relied largely on donations from friends, family members and personal contributions to sustain its programmes.

She said the initiative would continue regardless of the availability of donations, describing it as a commitment she had made in honour of her son.

Reflecting on the foundation’s achievements, she said the programme had provided beneficiaries with opportunities to turn vocational skills into sustainable sources of income.

The anniversary programme underscored the importance of partnerships between government and charitable organisations in promoting skills development, reducing poverty and creating opportunities for economic independence.