Our Reporter
The Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), under the leadership of its Executive Chairman, Omo’ba Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Almubarak Islamic Foundation to incorporate its 3-Days Entrepreneurship Training Programme into the Council’s development framework.
The collaboration underscores the administration’s commitment to empowering residents, particularly clerics and community leaders, with practical, faith-aligned entrepreneurial skills aimed at fostering economic resilience, social cohesion and sustainable livelihoods.
The training, convened by Sheikh Lookman AbdulRasaq Almubarak and held from Tuesday 28th – Thursday 30th April, 2026, was designed to promote enterprise development anchored on the principles of Islam, while advancing values of peace, unity and responsible economic participation. At a time when communities face increasing socio-economic pressures, the initiative provides a structured pathway for capacity building and mindset transformation.
Addressing participants, Chairman Aroyewun described the programme as a transformative initiative to achieve prosperity through faith and discipline.
“This is far more than a capacity-building exercise; it is a transformative movement that equips our people to embrace entrepreneurship, strengthen unity, and build prosperity on a foundation of faith and discipline.”
He urged attendees to move beyond participation to practical application, noting that “learning is evolving, and we must evolve with it.”
He further announced the formal adoption and integration of the programme into the LCDA’s policy framework under the Learning pillar of the HOA GLORY Agenda, the administration’s governance blueprint, which prioritises knowledge acquisition, skills development and human capital advancement as drivers of long-term growth.
“By embedding this initiative within our development agenda, we are not merely supporting a programme; we are making a deliberate investment in our people,” the chairman stated.
“When individuals are equipped with the right knowledge and tools, they become agents of change within their communities. When we educate one, we empower many; and when we empower many, we transform generations,” Aroyewun added.
The event attracted high-level participation, with the presence of Senator Ganiu Solomon (GOS), who was the Special Guest of Honour, reinforcing the strategic importance of the initiative. The Council also acknowledged the goodwill and royal support of His Royal Majesty, Oba Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom, whose patronage added cultural significance to the programme.
The success of the training was further driven by a distinguished faculty of facilitators, including Alhaji Uzamat Kayode Tajudeen (NTA), Prof. Bushra Zakiniyah Olalekan (Zakspreneur Academy), Prof. Sheriff Adekoya, Alhaji Gbadamosi, Sheikh Ishaq Falagba, and Mr AbdulRasaq Lateef, all of whom delivered insightful and practical sessions.
A pivotal contribution was made by Prof. Olalekan Bushra Zakariyau, founder of Zakspreneur Academy, whose expertise in entrepreneurship development, Islamic finance and agricultural enterprise – spanning engagements with institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Entrepreneurship Development Centre at FUT Minna, and international organisations including the World Bank and GIZ – played a key role in shaping the Council’s decision to adopt the programme.
The Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA Administration calls on all stakeholders to support this initiative as part of a broader commitment to strengthening local enterprise, promoting self-reliance and building a more prosperous and resilient community.
