Not every student will leave secondary school and walk straight into a university lecture hall. For many young Nigerians, the journey after graduation often comes with uncertainty, limited opportunities and the challenge of finding a means of livelihood.
It is this reality that inspired the Rotary Club of Ikeja to establish a solar-powered vocational training centre at Ikeja Junior High School, Lagos, aimed at equipping students with practical skills that can open doors beyond the classroom.
The facility, funded by the club in collaboration with Rotary International District 9111, will provide training in tailoring and fashion design, catering, barbing, makeup artistry and hairdressing.
Speaking at the inauguration, the President of the Rotary Club of Ikeja, Olarewaju Lawal, said the project was designed to empower young Nigerians, particularly students who may not immediately gain admission into tertiary institutions.
Lawal disclosed that the project cost between N15m and N18m and would also provide electricity for streetlights within the school premises.
“The initiative was designed to support students, particularly those who may not immediately proceed to tertiary institutions, with employable skills that could help them earn a living,” Lawal said.
She added, “We want to make these young people self-reliant. The vocational centre will keep them productively engaged while giving them opportunities to acquire skills that can generate income and sustain them.”
The District Governor of Rotary International District 9111, Henry Akiyele, described the centre as a demonstration of Rotary’s commitment to education and youth development.
According to him, the facility will complement classroom learning by exposing students to vocational and entrepreneurial skills.
“The idea is to develop our children beyond academic work and create opportunities for them to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills that will be useful in the future,” Akiyele said.
He added that the project aligns with Rotary International’s focus on basic education and literacy.
“If we empower and educate our children, we are also liberating the nation. This is a laudable project that will have a lasting impact on the students,” he stated.
Akiyele urged the school management to ensure proper maintenance of the facility and encouraged students to maximise the opportunity provided by the centre.
Also speaking, a past president of the Rotary Club of Ikeja, Olusegun Oshunkeye, said the club had earlier constructed the vocational centre before complementing it with a solar power installation and vocational equipment.
He said the facility had been equipped to train students in hairdressing, tailoring, gele making and barbing.
A former Principal of Ikeja Junior High School, Quadri Zainab-Ayo, described the project as the fulfilment of a long-standing vision for the institution.
Recalling the early days of the vocational programme, she said, “We started with just one sewing machine. Today, that single machine has grown into this magnificent building and the equipment inside it. This is truly a dream come true.”
The Principal of the school, Mrs Olushile Oluyemi, said the intervention represented an investment in the future of students, including learners with special needs.
She explained that the vocational centre would benefit students who excel in practical skills and provide them with opportunities for economic empowerment.
“With what Rotary has provided today, many students will have the opportunity to develop valuable skills through hands-on training. These skills can help them become self-reliant and even employers of labour in the future rather than job seekers,” Oluyemi said.
She assured the donors that the facility and equipment would be properly maintained for the benefit of current and future students.
Some students who attended the inauguration also expressed excitement over the project, describing it as an opportunity to acquire practical skills alongside their academic studies.
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