OSDF targets economic prosperity in Ondo South

The Ondo South Development Forum (OSDF), has revealed plans for the economic prosperity of the region, through skill acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes across the area. Experts, who spoke at the second edition of the economic summit initiated by the OSDF in Okitipupa, Ondo State, said it is relevant to inculcate both formal and semi-informal training in entrepreneurship and skill acquisition in schools such as technical, secondary and tertiary institutions. This would determine the students’ relevance and suitability for available jobs in their respective displaces.
 
An expert, from the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos, Dr Ayobade Adebowale, said there were many untapped opportunities in the economy, as youths do not need to wait for government to employ them before they can be productive.“We need to have a change of attitude and orientation and develop our skills, because this can create a lot of jobs and boost development,” she said.
    
Martins Oloja of The Guardian Newspaper, who was also a guest speaker, said if people cannot find solutions to problems on the ground, then they were actually not educated.Oloja said: “Nigerians have to move from rhetoric to where skills can be acquired. Let us think of the developments we can do with our technical schools; we have to develop our technical schools.”
     
The Abodi of Ikale land, Oba George Faduyile, commended the OSDF for its initiatives, and assured them of his continued support to work with them in ensuring the development of the region.The President, OSDF, Anthony Olasele, said the platform was created to bring people in Ondo South and other relevant stakeholders (government actors, entrepreneurs and investors) to robustly discuss developments affecting the region.
    
He observed that it was increasingly becoming difficult to change the mind-set of people, especially the youths, who are in a terrible state of delusion believing that only government can help them turn around their economic misfortune.
     
“Mobilising people to become creative entrepreneurs even with or without support from government by leveraging the abundant economy in Ondo South, is the herculean task that we must all work together to resolve,” he said.While calling on the government to deliver on its democratic dividend, stakeholders at the conference said leaving the people of the region in darkness over a decade was not helping to achieve the desired development.