Empowering youths accelerates economic growth —Akinseye

The Founder, Arise Foundation for Women, Youth and Family, Mrs. Joke Akinseye said empowering the youth acts as a potential to accelerate economic growth and continue the development of a nation.

She said this at the unveiling of a primary and secondary school built by the oragnisation in collaboration with friends for less privileged children in Mowe, Obafemi-Owode, Ogun State.

Akinseye said the three blocks of classrooms, a playing ground, laboratory, library, staff room and principal office were constructed because she believes in the power of education to end poverty.

She added that it was the reason her Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) worked with her friends to give the children the education they need and fight the inequalities that stand in their way, especially the girl-child.

She termed the project, ‘Education for all,’ in which children of less privileged families would have the same opportunity to be educated like what obtains in private schools for the elites in Nigeria.

“We want to raise the standards of living of youths and children, especially the girl-child through education and the women through business and economic empowerment, thereby unlocking and developing their potentials, making them to become change agents in their community and the nation at large. We work to promote the girl child education by providing them access to education.”

Akinseye said what motivated her work in the community was her background, having lived in the United Kingdom (UK) for over two decades, which operates a welfare system, where the society’s poor are looked after by government or charity organisations to ensure they live a better life.

According to her: “What operates in the UK, is exactly what I am practising here in Nigeria, no one can say they have no food to eat, or not educated for lack of money. If you want to do business, you have assistance, just like in whatever career you choose to go.”