By Gilbert Ekezie
The Church of God Mission, Garden City Parish, Lekki Lagos State has identified unemployment as major cause of the various security challenges being witnessed across Nigeria for over ten years ago.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Church during the conference in preparation to the forthcoming Round Table Lekki event, titled ; ‘Emerging Business Opportunities in the Real Estate scheduled to hold at the Garden City Lekki parish of the church on 1st May, 2021.
Senior and Leading Pastor of the Church, Rev. Chris Ubamadu said, the various insecurity problems like banditry, kidnapping, religious intolerance, insurgency and others strive in Nigeria today, as a result of the overwhelming unemployment rate, pointing out that if that is handled thoroughly, Nigeria will be a safer place to be.
Ubamadu who also the Assistant Coordinator, Lagos Island Zone of the Church of God Mission, observed that today terrorism has become part of Nigeria’s national life and many young people who have the opportunities and options in responses of the challenges have left the country. “Today, Nigeria is regarded as the capital of the world in terms of food shortages, out of school children and things get worse each day . The only way Nigeria will be free from the various killings, kidnapping and banditry, is when the youths’ are engaged meaningfully, as that would keep them busy and discourage them from all sorts of criminal activities.”
He explained that having observed the flaws in the economy of the nation, the Garden City Lekki parish of the Church of God Mission decided to contribute her quota in saving the situation at hand.
Ubamadu egretted that some Christians hide under church and become lazy and unproductive, thinking that one can make it by prayers alone, without hardwork, forgetting that the Bible says that faith without work is dead.
According to him, poverty is one of the things Jesus Christ came to destroy, and so not always happy seeing people ruin in poverty, that is the reason the Church of God Mission teaches the principle of wealth creation, how to get skills and be diligent. “We have SMA team that helps individuals who have ideas, but don’t have money to start something. We take them through a period of training and exposure, tell them how to do it. We also mobilize them with some money, which they should pay back after some time,in order to mobilize others.”
The cleric observed that the Real Estate sector has now become so attractive for the unemployed to tap from , as it had made many to become millionaires, even without any capital. “The Garden City Lekki saw the need to help reduce the unemployment that we believe, is contributing to the insecurity challenges being witnessed across the country today. And, we see the Real Estate as one of the areas we should looked into because there are opportunities there for the unemployed to explore.”
He said
The Roundtable Team Leader and Programme Co-ordinator, Mr. Tseyi Ejueyitsi hinted that the programme came as a result of micro economic factor of Nigeria, pointing out that it would look at solutions to the various challenges confronting the nation.
He said, going by the Nigeria’s data analysis, it is observed that the key things that stand out are unemployment and high inflation rate. “As I speak, the inflation rate is 18 percent from 17 percent last month. And, it was about 15 percent in 2020, which shows it is growing per day. It therefore affects the common man through the high cost of things and reduction in purchasing power, acrued from reduction in income.”
Ejueyitsi informed that having observed the challenge, the Church of God Mission decided to provide solution through the Round Table Lekki programme scheduled to hold on Ist May, 2021; a platform for economic employment. “The Real Estate is just the starting point. We will be looking into another sector next year. We are going to be covering it sector by sector, addressing the challenges and preferring solutions. This year, we are working with experts in the Real Estate sector and those in authority to tell us what we need to know about the Real Estate business because many have ventured into it and failed. So, we are expecting to get the right information from the right source.”
According to him, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development , Lagos State, Dr Idris Okanla Salako will speak on “Lagos State Global Masterplan and Zoning Restrictions; All a Developer Should Know.” CEO Beachway Homes, Mr Adeyinka R. Lawal will speak on Commercial and Investment Opportunities in the Real Estate , while the CEO Landwey Investments, Mr. Olawale Ayilara will speak on ‘Overview of Real Estate Industry in Nigeria.”
Ejueyitsi called on those interested in investing or venturing in Real Estate business to tap from the opportunity created by the Round Table event. I
Executive Officer of Xtreme Mind Solutions Limited, Officil Media Partner of the event, Mr Fegho Umunubo also informed that panelists at the programme include; Mr. Joseph Ndu Nwaghodoh, Senior Manager at Citycode Mortgage Bank, Ms. Angela Oleka, Business Development Manager, KAAN Properties Ltd and Mr. Ajayi Franklin MD/CEO A. F. Royalton Development Co. Ltd.
He noted that the rountable would be held both virtual and physical to accommodate more number of participants within and outside Lagos State.