NASFAT LAGOS ZONE ONE EMPOWERS 45 MEMBERS IN SKILLS ACQUISITION
Fausiat Salako-Sanni
November 21, 2022
Training, Financial, Skill Acquisition and Assets are some of the catalysts that have been identified as veritable tools to empowering an entrepreneur.
This was part of the discussions held at the NASFAT Lagos Zone One economic empowerment committee’s maiden edition of graduation and products exhibition event held on Saturday 19th November, 2022 at the Zonal Secretariat, Fashoro, Surulere.
According to the guest speaker, the former Nasfat national economic empowerment Secretary, Alh. Saka Ibrahim Otitoloju, ” An entrepreneur creates wealth, therefore bringing about economic development, decent livelihood. A decent livelihood entails having a veritable source of income, which comes from wealth creation.”
“Empowerment is an act or action of granting of power, rights or authority to someone with aim of making him/her self reliant. ”
Empowerment can come in different forms, it could be Individual-based, gender-based, social, educational or economic based empowerment. The whole essence is providing people with education, training and skills that they need to find a job, earn income and become self-supporting.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” said Mr. Saka Otitoloju.
In her goodwill message, the Nasfat National Economic Empowerment Committee Secretary, NEES, Alhaja Faosiyah Adegeye, who was represented by the Nasfat HQ EEC Coordinator, Alhaji AbdulFatai Bakare, also reiterated the fact that, to be an entrepreneur, the graduands need to be Self-directed, Self-nurturing, Action-oriented, highly energetic, tolerant of uncertainty. While he said, the NEES, wishes them successes in the various skills they’ve acquired and also congratulates Lagos Zone One empowerment committee and pray for more productive activities.
While making her speech, the chairperson of the occasion, the Nasfat national women affairs management committee Secretary, Alhaja Suwebat Bolakale Aduke Kupolati, who was ably represented by the Zonal women affairs management committee Secretary, Alhaja Sidiqah Otunbade, she opined that, entrepreneurial empowerment is necessary in a human’s life, particularly for the females because among other impacts, it doesn’t only helps to be self-employed but also makes us understand what it means to contribute to the needs of a household in order to have a better livelihood.
“In Nasfat, the present Executives theme is HELD meaning: Health, Education, Livelihood and Dawah. Empowerment is under livelihood in which we don’t want any of our members especially the women and the youth to be idle.”
“In as much as we’re not expected or even required to work in high powered companies and offices, the need to have something of our own without having to call on your spouse for help is the goal of the empowerment programmes. To have enough time for your children and homefront responsibilities and also have something to do that fetches you some form of livelihood to assist your spouse and also provide something for yourself personally.”
“However, let us not forget in the bid to be self-reliant and assist with the household expenses, let us not forget our main objectives; to be a good woman of Al-jannah, a good wife to your husband and a great mother to your children”.
“Alhamdullilah, you all have chosen something worth learning and as long as you have the determination to use what you have learned judiciously, In Sha’a Allah, it will work well for you no matter the odds. May Allah grant us ease in our chosen fields”.
The Zonal economic empowerment Secretary, Alhaja Silifat Abiola Fagbemi, seized the opportunity to emphasize issues of service to God and Humanity by rendering training assistance to most members at branch and zonal level. By implication, this is an important role any religious organization should focus on and play the role as an act of Ibadah .
According to her, Many members are in need of Economic Empowerment. “They approach branch empowerment Secretaries for assistance in order to secure a reliable means of livelihood and a good source of income. As we speak, Nasfat has been trying a lot in developing our women and youths at both National and Zonal levels, this is advisable to be embraced and reciprocated at the branch level”.
“If we can improve on this by training and empowering a good number of our members at branch and zonal level with list and records of beneficiaries every year, it will go a long way to remove tears from the faces of many members and also measure how impacting are the empowerment programmes on the lives of our members.”
“We therefore appeal to our leaders to please support and establish a programme that will enable all branch empowerment secretaries to be in a position to help genuine indigent members to rise economically”.
“There is stress and distress in the land. Members are faced with challenges. We should strive to be “very well alive while Living”. We need to raise people’s hope by renewing their good sense of belonging. HOPE is said to be the last Element of Man. And when there is life there should be hope”.
The Zonal Chairman, Alh. Engr. Mustopha Abiodun Alabi also lend his voice on the need for the graduands to discover their natural talents, that is, what they seamlessly do with passion and enjoy doing it, is their talents and they should identify the environment such talents are needed. Make their talents solutions to problems in the society.
The formal Zonal economic empowerment Secretary, Alhaja Mariam AbdulKareem advised the graduands to nurture their talents after its discovery so as to know how well such talents can be utilised for help themselves and to humanity as a whole.
” Doing this, that is, nurturing and utilising your talents will make you happier and in the long run bring foods to your table and monies into your account “.said Alhaja AbdulKareem.
The acting Zonal Missioner, Imam Barr. Uthman Mohammed Jaji showered supplications on the graduands, NASFAT Lagos Zone One, NASFAT worldwide for continuous success and growth and offered prayers for Nigeria for peace and tranquility especially in the forthcoming general election.
Among dignitaries at the event were Zonal Council of Elders Vice Chairman, who represented the council, Alh. Saka, ZEC members, Branch economic empowerment Secretaries, past Branch women affairs management Secretaries and families of the graduands.
High point of the event was presentation of certificates to the graduands, recognizing some individuals who have supported the committee in its cause while guests were taken round the exhibition ground. Branches stand and products exhibited for sales highlighted below:
