Awesome Empowerment Foundation set to graduate pioneer cohort of Fortitude Scheme

Awesome Empowerment Foundation (AEF) will graduate the pioneer cohort of its Fortitude Empowerment Scheme (FES) on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in Lagos marking a significant step in its efforts to equip underserved individuals with practical skills, entrepreneurial knowledge and opportunities for economic independence.

At the heart of the foundation’s work is the conviction that everyone deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential, regardless of personal circumstances or perceived imperfections.

Guided by this belief, AEF combines education, vocational training, entrepreneurship development and mentoring to help participants build confidence, develop practical competencies and pursue greater economic self-reliance.

The Fortitude Empowerment Scheme serves as the foundation’s flagship skills-development programme, with current training focused on fashion design and tailoring, as well as culinary arts and baking.

The foundation is also exploring hairdressing and barbing as additional vocational training areas.

Beyond technical instruction, AEF incorporates entrepreneurship, digital skills, packaging, social media management and business development into its broader empowerment approach, coupled with business set-up support, mentoring and hands-on guidance over a three-month period to help them navigate the early stages of establishing and managing their enterprises.

The foundation’s commitment to inclusion is reflected in its recruitment approach, which targets men and women aged 18 and above, with persons with disabilities accounting for 10% of its participants.

Through this model, AEF aims to widen access to skills acquisition and entrepreneurship opportunities for people who might otherwise face barriers to economic participation.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of the Awesome Empowerment Foundation, Dr. Tola Bamigbaiye, said: “Nothing is stopping you from being resilient, tenacious and authentic except yourself. Every graduate in this cohort has already shown what happens when you choose to keep going. The skills are yours now. So is the decision to use them. Congratulations to the Pioneer Cohort, and welcome to the next chapter.”

Alongside its vocational programmes, the foundation runs Imperfectly Awesome Conversations (IAC), a platform dedicated to encouraging discussions around authenticity, resilience and tenacity.

The platform challenges individuals to recognise their worth, embrace their differences and develop the confidence to move beyond personal limitations.

While IAC inspires and opens conversations about personal growth, FES provides a practical route for translating those ideas into action through skills acquisition, enterprise development and continued support.

These two initiatives reflect AEF’s broader philosophy that imperfections and difficult circumstances should not prevent individuals from learning, growing and contributing meaningfully to their communities.

The foundation also engages partners across the public, private and social sectors to strengthen its programmes and broaden their reach.

Its key partners and collaborators include HBM, Kerrygold Milk, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA), LASRO, Dotts Media, Alpha and Jam, PKF, individuals, worship centres, and other non-governmental organisations.

Their presence reflects the partnerships that make skills programmes like the Fortitude Empowerment Scheme possible, and a shared belief that do best when industry and community stand together.

During the year, the foundation completed three projects: the fourth edition of Imperfectly Awesome Conversations (IAC 4.0) with over 350 seated participants, and two cohorts of its basic fashion and culinary training programmes with 120 enrolled trainees( 85% women, 15% men and 10% persons with disabilities)

Under its guiding message, “Empowering People. Transforming Communities,” the foundation continues to promote education, skills development, entrepreneurship and inclusion as practical tools for building a better future. develop the confidence to pursue their goals and build sustainable livelihoods without allowing their imperfections or circumstances to define their possibilities.