Balarabe Foundation Empowers Households, Students as 30 Trainees Graduate, 100 Set for Next Intake.

Balarabe Foundation Empowers Households, Students as 30 Trainees Graduate, 100 Set for Next Intake.

The Balarabe Abiodun Akinwumi Foundation (BAAF) has continued its intervention in education, youth empowerment and community development, with 30 young people graduating from its latest skills-acquisition programme as another 100 set to benefit from a new digital-skills training initiative.

Founder of the Foundation, Hon. Balarabe Abiodun Akinwumi, said investing in young people and making meaningful contributions to society had become an important part of his personal commitment to community development.

Akinwumi, who is also the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Akure South/Akure North Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, stated this on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the BAAF Impact and Graduation Ceremony held to celebrate the 30 beneficiaries who completed their training.

The beneficiaries were equipped with practical skills across various areas, including fashion, hair styling, photography, video editing, event planning, pastries and nail artistry.

Speaking at the ceremony, Akinwumi said one of the most enduring ways of impacting society was through investment in human capacity, particularly by giving young people the skills, mentorship and support required to become self-reliant.

According to him, empowering young people goes beyond providing immediate assistance, as it also involves mentoring them and monitoring their progress to ensure that the knowledge and skills acquired translate into sustainable livelihoods.

He announced the sponsorship of another batch of 100 young people who would be trained in digital skills as part of the Foundation's continuing empowerment initiative.

Akinwumi expressed appreciation to his wife, Adenike, for what he described as her invaluable support, while also commending the Manager of the Foundation, Mrs Simisola Alabi, and the team of volunteers for their commitment to the Foundation's programmes.

Earlier in her remarks, the Foundation's Manager, Mrs Simisola Alabi, had said BAAF's interventions should not be measured merely by the number of beneficiaries but by the individual lives and families positively affected by its programmes.

“When we look at the journey of BAAF so far, we don’t just see numbers. We see faces. We see young people whose dreams were given another chance. We see parents whose burdens became a little lighter. We see communities that were reminded that someone cares,” Alabi said.

She explained that the Foundation's education-support initiatives had reached a significant number of pupils and students, noting that BAAF had paid the school fees of 100 students and supported 20 parents with their children's education. According to her, the Foundation had also provided 60 school uniforms and distributed more than 2,000 learning materials, 500 mathematical sets and 500 school bags to children who needed them.

Alabi said the Foundation recognised that financial constraints could constitute a major barrier to educational advancement, particularly for young people seeking admission to tertiary institutions.

“We also believe that the cost of an examination should not limit a young person’s future. That is why we sponsored 100 teenagers for JAMB registration, helping remove one more barrier between them and tertiary education,” she said.

She recalled that when residents of Ifelodun community reached out following damage to their water-storage facilities, the Foundation responded by providing two 2,500-litre water tanks.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of certificates to the 30 beneficiaries who completed the skills-acquisition programme.

The event also featured a panel discussion and talent presentations, providing the beneficiaries with an opportunity to showcase some of the skills and abilities acquired during their training.