“Alaga’ is more than talking, singing dancing…”Sokoyokoto
The Chief Executive Officer of Alarede Engagement Academy, Mrs. Foluso Ogunjimi, said being an Alaga is more than singing, dancing, and talking. It is a calling to build families.
She said she remains committed to using the vocational training academy as an initiative to transform marriages and also empower women through skills acquisition in traditional wedding anchoring involving christain families, muslim families, how to successfully compere inter-tribal weddings, eru iyawo packaging, effective leadership grooming, make up training, gele tieing, and access to a large network of excellent networks among others.
“The first thing we think about in Alarede Engagement Academy is to build a home,” Ogunjimi stated.
Ogunjimi added, “It is beyond singing and dancing. It is building a home and connecting families together.
The CEO of Alarede Engagement Academy, who is known as “Sokoyokoto” as an international award winning traditional wedding anchor, prayed that the graduating students would attain great heights within the Alaga industry and tasked them to be cautious of placing money above friendships and other unbecoming attitude that could ruin their reputation and the image of the school.
She thanked the teachers, especially the principal of the Academy, Mrs. Olabisi Igwe, for impacting the requisite knowledge in the students both through online and physical classes during the period they were in the Academy.
The award winning veteran broadcaster turned traditional wedding anchor told them that as they begin their journey growing within the industry as a traditional marriage compere, they must always remember that their role is more than just speaking during traditional wedding.
She said, “Alarede has become a transformative international initiative which brings joy to members, create a sense of sisterhood and relationships and they should keep growing within the alumni network now that they are no longer students”.
The life after the training journey, Mrs. Ogunjimi affirmed would continue to happen through the mentorship opportunities created by the Academy to ensure the new Alagas remained relevant in the industry as she attached the six graduating students to already established Alagas for post classroom mentorship with a charge to their assigned mentors that they should ensure their mentees thrive under their guidances.
She advised that an Alaga should be prayerful as it takes God to succeed, hardwok, humility, patience, and due diligence in the Alaga industry. She added that part of her personal secrets to a successful career is prayer, patience and learning to evolve in her craft with the ever changing trends.
The CEO of Alarede Engagement Academy said them to keep improving on all the skills acquired from the school so that they can stand out in all events they anchor.
Alarede Engagement Academy is certified by the Lagos State Government as a vocational training centre under the Lagos State Agency for Mass Education. It has empowered over 200 women through skills acquisition in traditional wedding anchoring, eru iyawo packaging, make-up training, and gele tieing who have been doing well in the Alaga industry both within Nigeria, United Kingdom, USA and Canada in over 16 years.
