In an effort to reduce social vices, unemployment and poverty in the society, the Legends of Textile Mill Road Association Worldwide has organized a free training workshop on Solar Power installation for residents in Textile Mill Road area of Benin City.
The Legends of Textile Mill Road Association Worldwide is an organisation made up of childhood friends and families that spent their formative years as kids around Edo Textile Mill Road of Benin City and of which most of them are now adults, doing well in various fields of endeavour, in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
Speaking on the occasion, the global president of the association, Mr. Maxwell Amen Iyamu noted that the workshop was also put together as a way of giving back to the society, especially to the environment where he and other members of the body grew up.
Mr. Iyamu observed: ‘The main thing we want to do is to see how we can encourage our youths in this environment, so that we can reduce social vices, take them out of the unemployment market, so that they will be engaged.’
The global president, who is the trainer, recalled how the Legends of Textile Mill Road Association Worldwide in December 2023, provided relief to orphans with food donation.
When asked about the reason for the solar panel installatio training instead of palliative for the people, in view of the current economic situation of the country, occasioned by the removal of subsidy on petrol, Mr. Iyamu simply said ‘It is good to teach people how to fish, instead of just giving them fish to eat’. While revealing that the training would be a continuous one, the trainer stated that starter pack would be given to the committed ones among the trainees, to ensure that they practice what they learn at the training.
He encouraged the participants not to see solar panel installation as a difficult thing to learn, because of some calculations involved in the process.
‘It may look somehow difficult initially, especially when you see some calculations involved in solar installation, but it is what you can do. It is not rocket science. If somebody else can do it, believe that you yourselves can do it,’ he stated.
A solar power engineer, Mr. John Eghosa Igbineweka who taught participants on the basis of solar panel installation, observed that there is a large market for the solar power industry in Nigeria.
He encouraged participants to make the best use of the opportunity provided through the training to make a living for themselves.
One of the trainees, Mr. Godfrey Osas said he was reluctant to indicate interest in the training initially, as he thought that the training may not be real.
Mr. Osas expressed joy that the training was real, noting that he had learnt things like various methods of solar installations and how to determine the best position to place a solar panel during installation, among others.
Another participant, Mr. Christian Okiri noted that he had always desire to own a solar panel at home, due to the unstable electricity supply in the country and expressed joy to be among participants at the workshop.
Mr. Osas and Mr. Okiri appealed to the organizers of the workshop to give them more training on solar panel installation and empower them with tools to kick start their own business thereafter.
Apart from the solar power panel installation, The Legends of Textile Mill Road Association Worldwide is equally set to carry out training in other vocational fields to members of the public free of charge.
The training was made possible through the contributions of
Maxwell Amen Iyamu – President Charles Usiosefe – Secretary General
Those in the diaspora are:
Omolegho Ojiekere
Peace Kubeyinje
Henry Mukoro
Marvis Edegan
Francis Iyoha
Osahon Asoro
Osaretin
Festus Egbon
and host of others.
