Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration will continue in its effort to provide skills acquisition programmes across the three senatorial districts of the state to create more job opportunities for women and young people, as the state graduated a total of 4,592 from its skills acquisition programme.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the pledge while speaking at the graduation and presentation of certificates ceremony for the 2022 graduates of the programme, which took place at the LTV8 Blue Roof, Ikeja, and was graced by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, and other top government functionaries.
Sanwo-Olu said the resolve to provide skills acquisition programmes across the state was to alleviate poverty, stem the fruitless search for unavailable white-collar jobs, and reduce incidences of domestic violence.
A total of 4,592 students completed training in a variety of 20 skills from 19 centres for the 2022 training session, with a breakdown showing 1,329 to be males and 3,263 to be females, with the best 19 graduates, one each across the centres, awarded working tools in their chosen vocations.
Aggregately, over 18,000 candidates have been trained through the Lagos State-sponsored training programmes free of charge since the establishment of the scheme in 2019.
The governor assured that the state would continue to allow youths and women to contribute their quota to national development, saying that it was imperative that the government equip them with the necessary knowledge and technical skills to enhance their productivity and become self-reliant.
He enjoined the graduates to be good ambassadors of the state and the ministry that trained them, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), and further urged them to remain steadfast as they start another phase in the journey of life to not only empower themselves but also have it in mind to one day become an employer of labour, thereby contributing their quota to the eradication of poverty in the land.
“WAPA and the government have trained you free of charge; let us not put it to waste. I urge you to let the training count. Let drops turn to the mighty ocean. Believe in yourself. Never get scared, even if you make attempts that fail.
“Don’t get discouraged. Never throw in the towel. Your first attempts at something are not necessarily the best,” the governor admonished.
“Challenge yourself and the awardees among you. Hold yourself together as a set. Learn from each other through peer review. You are the future and the leaders of tomorrow. Don’t see yourself as less.
There might be challenges in finance, power, and funds.
“Say it everywhere; let it be known that what you have learned today is to make you the best possible. Continue to give space and sense to believe that tomorrow is better than today,” he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Cedilla Bolaji Dada, said the event was special as, according to her, the state was showcasing a laudable strategy in the development of training as a potent tool for social and community upliftment.
She said that the state “must unleash these potentials” in women and youths, assuring that the state, through the THEMES Plus agenda, was committed to harnessing the vibrant energy and channelling it towards enterprise, which will be of immense benefit to the country.
“We consider it imperative in the last four years to develop a comprehensive training scheme and skill development programme for women and youth. Creating conducive entrepreneurial training for them,” the commissioner said.
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