Ogun Cleric disburses ₦15m to young entrepreneurs in memory of late wife

By Tosin Abiodun, Abeokuta

Victory Life Bible Church International Apostle Lawrence Achudume has advised youths to embrace entrepreneurship in the light of current economic realities in the country.

Speaking at the close of the church’s annual youth outreach initiative tagged  ‘Youth On Fire program’ where he doled out N15 million to aspiring entrepreneurs , the cleric noted that white-collar jobs are no longer a feasible option, adding that traditional employment routes aren’t yielding the  needed results  for young people.

The beneficiaries  of the ₦15 million empowerment funds include  young entrepreneurs across multiple sectors, including catering, logistics, tailoring, fashion designing and shoe-making.

“The beneficiaries were segmented into three distinct categories,” Achudume told journalists at the Sunday’s ceremony. “The first group received fully sponsored training in cutting-edge areas like graphic design.

“The second category was provided financial support along with brand-new equipment such as sewing machines while the  third group received financial grants ranging from ₦300,000 to ₦3 million to bolster their entrepreneurial endeavours.”

Achudume explained further  that the empowerment initiative  in memory of his wife, Revd. Fola Achudume (RFA), was to foster self-reliance among young people which was well championed by.

 “Youths must seize the initiative to build their own future,” he said. “We can’t rely on white-collar jobs that are increasingly scarce – we must foster prosperity through entrepreneurship.”

He reiterated RFA’s  commitment  to youth empowerment, adding it’s a surefooted approach to rejig the economy.  

“Entrepreneurship is a powerful pathway out of poverty,” he emphasized. ” This empowerment initiative is all  about arming our youths with the tools they need to stand on their own and create opportunities – not just for themselves but for others as well.”