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Dame Emmanuella Fashola (L) inspecting the guard of honour mounted by the detachment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.
Dame Emmanuella Fashola (L) addressing members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) during their Orientation programme.Jul 13, 2012 - Please Learn A Vocation, First Lady Challenges Corps Members
The Lagos State First Lady, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola has called on National Youth Service Corps members in the State to spend their one year compulsory service to learn a vocation.
Addressing thousands of the corps members recently in Lagos at an interactive session, she added that the best way to succeed in the current economic recession is through self employment.
According to her, a leader is somebody who can influence others. She said that an average corps member is a leader who is supposed to be a role model and somebody with the right values.
The First Lady, who said she always love to be among children and youths, noted the best and fresh ideas could be generated among the corps members to solve many problems confronting the country.
"I want to be in your world and listen to you as we jointly find a way to solve the problems in the country. I believe so much in alternative learning," she said.
The wife of the State Governor took time to speak about her career, saying she succeeded because she found passion in what she did as a secretary and staff of the British Council, Nigeria.
She urged the corps members to work as a team and come up with feasibility study of what they could do to transform themselves and the country as a whole.
According to him, there are 15 vocational and skill acquisition centres across the State, where the corps members can learn various trades. "During this service year, you can spend time to think of what you can do to make a living," she reiterated.
She stated that government could only do little in the area of employment but each corps member could assist in growing the economy through creativity and vocational training.
Charging them to start business with little capital, Dame Fashola advised the corps members to approach Micro Finance Institutions for loans.
"Let us start from humble beginning. We have to work as a team. Let's learn to understand our differences. Put yourself together and start something. There are graduates who do vocation in tailoring, farming to earn a living. Look inward and learn a skill. Be an employer of labour," she advised.
While answering questions from the corps members, the First Lady told them to spend their energy on something meaningful by forming a cooperative group to access loan from financial institutions.