DEVELOPING THE NATION’S HUMAN RESOURCES

SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE 3RD GRADUATION CEREMONY OF ITF-NECA TSDP BATCH IV TRAINEES [2013]

ON THURSDAY, 10TH JULY, 2014

- Edoka Peter-Paul -

GREETINGS

Greetings to the chairperson of this occasion, Special guest of honour, guest of honour, the chief host, and all other distinguished personalities.

INTRODUCTION 

I must begin by first thanking Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) together as a body – a unique body that had stood over time to see the positive growth of our nation’s resources. ITF has sincerely been following what it stood for as in the words of its motto: Developing the Nation’s Human Resources. I must also thank the staffs, who at every department of this great body, has been giving in maximum support to see to its growth. This is my sincere appreciation – which strongly goes to some unique individuals, the organizing committee and those directly involve in the training of these great minds and persons.

TELL THEM!

We are gathered here today to celebrate the successful graduation of our brothers and sister and friends who actually left here last year, 2013. But I am here as the founder of Pillarious Foundation to thank these ‘graduants’ for the bold and great steps taken to enroll with our Nation’s livewire when it comes to developing human resources. I am thanking you because you are a few that are standing out of millions who just sit and keep complaining about lack of job and job opportunities. I am thanking you because you have changed the cause of history in your life and among and within your pears. I am thanking you because some of you have created employment and have given hope and life to others; while others are doing wonderfully well at their respective place of work.

We have graduates who, because they studied a particular course in school, sit and wait for job opening only in that specific and particular field. Someone needs to tell them that: they should learn skills and equip themselves for more opportunities to succeed in life – they should take the bold step like you have done to learn new skills and trade; even if it has nothing to do with the course they studied in school. Gone are the days when what you studied in school is what you will eat with. Tell them!

ITF trains people in various fields and gives out skills to equip you. With what ITF has given you, you can chose to start on your own – this we encouraged – or even if you open yourself to working with and for others, I am very sure you will be the one to chose where to work – this is simply because you have the skills to be resourceful and relevant and highly needed for a task to be done and project executed.

You must see yourselves as bright lights shinning in the dark where others are falling. Be that light for them, show them the path you have taken and encourage them – because majority of them are scared, they are afraid of starting small, afraid of starting something new – of learning new skills and developing their hidden talents.

Growing up, I had interest in books – this came because my elder sister – Comfort would bring novels home for her reading pleasure; and I read them too. With time I began to write as well. And because my father always tuned to the National Network News on radio, I grew up loving broadcasting and music. After secondary school however, I studied Computer Science at the Polytechnic because computer as at year 2000 was, and I still believe, a must-get skill – and that is the skill I am using today to do so many things. Because I love writing and a writer is a great thinker, I took the opportunity that came my way to study Philosophy. Today, I am a writer, a motivational speaker and founder of Pillarious Foundation. And because I love music, I am presently the manager of three wonderful musicians – you will hear of them soon; and who knows, one day I might sing too. 

Pillarious Foundation is the platform on which I stand to encourage people, especially young ones, to embrace life with courage and determination to succeed in their chosen career / job and even relationship.

Conclusion

So I urge you my dear friends, work at encouraging other young people to come to ITF and begin a journey that would make them leaders of tomorrow and resourceful individuals. Work at exploring every opportunity that would come your way – embrace challenges, dare to create new things, new ideas and novel platforms – this is the only means through which you would be active, resourceful and alive.

Go all out – with God on your side and ITF inside you – use all that you have learnt and make our Nation a better place, giving strength to the motto of ITF …  Developing the Nation’s Human Resources.

Thank You!