Diamond Bank Nigeria has partnered with Paradigm Initiative Nigeria to connect undeserved youth of Abia State with AbaLIFE. AbaLIFE is an initiative of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, which connects young people with ICT enabled opportunities to create better livelihoods through its ICT, entrepreneurship and life skill training. L.I.F.E. is an acronym for Life Skills. ICT. Financial Readiness. and Entreprenurship.
After 7 years of proving the concept and building a model in Ajegunle Lagos, PIN began to plan on scaling the training outside of Lagos due to high demand. It began with a South-East baseline study which led to the opening of a program office in Aba in August 2014, called the Aba Innovation Centre.
Following an orientation exercise, training commenced on Monday 20th October 2014 at the Aba Innovation Center. One hundred persons between the ages of 15 and 28 years were selected for the inagural phase of the Aba L.I.F.E training program out of the 382 applicants.
As PIN worked to expand into the South-East, they partnered with Diamond Bank to push its CSR initiative in the region.
“It’s not just about financial support and gift items for students,” said Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of PIN; “It is even better than that, Diamond Bank
staff will volunteer to train Aba L.I.F.E youth. They will be able to tell Aba L.I.F.E trainees their own stories of change.” he continued.
According to Tope Ogundipe, Chief Operating Officer, Paradigm Initiative
Nigeria, thanks to Diamond Bank and other partners, the training will encourage PIN to meet with the community to discuss and reflect on the success of the initial engagement, as they look forward to even more youths being trained in 2015.
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