Deeper Life: Building a new generation of high-skilled entrepreneurs

A section of the Nigerian public believes that churches are not doing enough to solve some of the daunting challenges ravaging the society. This group criticises churches for failing to liberate men from poverty, want, diseases and life’s problems.

But this is only a half-truth, as many Christian denominations are beginning to initiate programmes that meet the needs of the 21st century’s man.

One of the churches that have keyed into solving the ever-growing problems of the 21st century’s man is the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, overseen by the holiness preacher, William Folorunso Kumuyi.

Today, Deeper Life, known worldwide as a holiness church, has seen the need to build the total man through empowering him with the 21st century entrepreneurship skills.

The church recently initiated the Young Professionals Forum to equip young members of the church with modern-day skills and meet their specific needs as a group. The church organised a skills acquisition programme, where 255 of them were trained in Digital Marketing, Web Design, Mobile Applications Photography and Video Editing, Event Planning and Interior Design, Hydroponic Farming, Pastry and Mixology.

An award ceremony took place in the church’s headquarters at Gbagada, Lagos, on July 8.

“It remains our abiding desire to have them subsequently transformed from being employees to self-employed personalities and from employers to becoming entrepreneurs,” Kumuyi said, at the event.

According to him, many young people hardly come to terms with their purposes in life, a yawning gap the church is determined to fill.

He said massive unemployment, underemployment, loss of jobs, frustrations, delinquency, drug abuse and other delinquencies that have captivated the attention of young people present a grim picture to every discerning and concerned mind.

He said the church is wholly committed to the edification and elevation of the human essence and faculties into maximal productive use.

“There are plans to train additional participants to acquire entrepreneurial skills in the next two months. We expect and pray that the graduands and beneficiaries of the first batch of the skills acquisition programme will face the future with courage and hope,” he stated.

Observers believe that this step taken by Deeper Christian Life Ministry could redefine the Nigerian religious ecosystem.

Adebayo Fasina, president, YPF, in a statement, said YPF was born to help youths discover their purposes in life through diligence, hard work, honesty and integrity, which would prepare them for excellence in their chosen fields of endeavour.

According to Fasina, YPF currently has over 1,500 members in Lagos and has the intention of expanding to other states of the nation. “YPF is designed for young graduates, career professionals, and young entrepreneurs in Nigeria geared towards making them job givers,” he said.

Speaking with reporters, one of the graduands, Adeyemi Jeremiah, who was trained in Digital Marketing, said the programme has impacted positively in his life.

“Less than one month after the programme, I got a contract with EduBridge Consult in partnership with Google, as a digital trainer. Also, I have been to two states within two weeks. I was in Anambra and Kwara States to conduct some training and, in the two states, I have trained over 700 students,” Adeyemi said.

“I have two Google certifications as a Digital trainer and Adword specialist. Currently, I manage two social pages for small and medium enterprises (SMEs),” he added.

Ben-Eze Chidiebere, who was trained in Graphic Design and Branding, was full of gratitude to the church for the opportunity.

“Before the training, I had issues with fonts and colours in my designs, but after the programme, I got a perfect understanding of the basis of design. So, since I got my foundation right, my designs have changed. Now I have a lot of contracts and jobs to do just because I got the training right and understand it well. I now also own D’Ebere Art and it has been doing fine ever since,” said Ben-Eze.

On where he hopes to see himself in the next five or six years, he said: “Going forward, I would like to see myself doing marvellously well in the design work and reduce unemployment rate in the country, which is the ultimate goal of the training.”

ODINAKA ANUDU