Peery Foundation invests in PIN

THE Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), Mr. Gbenga Sesan, has confirmed the investment of Peery Foundation, a Palo Alto-based family foundation established in 1978 by Richard Peery, into the PIN project.

Sesan who disclosed this in Lagos quoted the Dave Peery as saying that the foundation was excited by the works by PIN.

“We’re excited to be supporting PIN’s work! Following series of discussions and checks by the Foundation, we are proud to make this social investment. We are encouraged by the thoughtfulness of PIN’s model and the importance of working with such an under-resourced demographic in Africa,” Dave Peery was quoted in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online at the weekend.

He explained that Peery Foundation invests in and serves social entrepreneurs and leading organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world, and their mission is to strengthen youth and families to build lives of dignity and self-reliance.

According to him, the deal between the foundation and PIN commenced after a member of staff of the foundation listened to a presentation on PIN’s work with youth in Nigeria by PIN’s Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan, as part of the requirements of his participation in the Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) programme at Santa Clara University last August.

“The grant will help PIN kick-start series of technology-for-entrepreneurship (‘technopreneurship’) training programs for youth across Nigeria. The training programs will serve as the foundation for PIN’s plan to host an annual conference, from the last quarter of 2012, tagged “Techie. Entrepreneurial. Nigerian. Talented” (T.E.N.T) – where young talents can meet with the industry and investors,” Sesan explained.

Additionally, he expressed the belief that if the potentials in youth are discovered, trained, mentored and supported with their interests in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovation, it may prove difficult to visualize legitimate millionaire emerging from the sector in the future.

“… Especially while they’re in their early teens, they can’t become ICT experts and legitimate billionaires in their late twenties,” he noted, stressing that it has be nurtured over time.

Sesan recollected that PIN, a Lagos-based social enterprise, addresses the gap between Nigeria’s disadvantaged youth and economic opportunities by providing demand-driven Information and Communica­tion Technologies, entrepreneurship and life skills train­ing.

PIN’s Ajegunle.org training programme connects trainees with internship opportunities which result in full-time employment or provide training towards small businesses that improve their livelihoods – and allows them to serve as role models to other youth.

ITRealms Online noted that through its Internet Safety, Security and Privacy Initiative for Nigeria programme, in partnership with Microsoft, PIN works to redirect the energy of young Nigerians from cybercrime.

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