Retirees Mrs. Majekodunmi Bolanle, aged 66, and Mrs. Kuburat Animashaun, aged 64, have embraced new pursuits to engage their hands and rejuvenate their minds.
Both grandmothers willingly enrolled at the Lagos State Skills Acquisition Centre in Agidingbi to enhance their skill sets, diving into computer operations and software, a new vocation they eagerly pursued.
These seniors were part of the 4,592 trainees honoured by the Lagos State Government during the 2022 graduation ceremony held at the LTV Blue Roof in Agidingbi. Their training spanned 19 skills development centres across Lagos’ five traditional divisions, courtesy of the State Government’s sponsorship.
Overseen by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), the program offered a diverse range of vocational courses, from photography, textile making, catering, and hotel management to hairdressing, fashion designing, welding, aluminium fabrication, leatherwork, and furniture and woodwork, among others.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu emphasized that this initiative aimed at empowering grassroots communities while providing young individuals opportunities to unearth their inherent potential and engage in economic activities.
He highlighted the importance of life skills in fostering self-reliance among beneficiaries, enhancing their entrepreneurial acumen, and facilitating their contributions to the State’s economic growth.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed, “Our commitment to vocational and skills acquisition is pivotal in poverty alleviation and promoting women and youth empowerment for financial sustainability.”
Encouraging the graduates, he urged them to elevate their living standards using these acquired skills, emphasizing the need to share their knowledge to empower others. Additionally, he emphasized the absence of shortcuts on the path to success and emphasized that the free training aimed to remove barriers hindering skill acquisition.
The Governor elucidated the establishment of the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to support MSMEs’ goals, encouraging graduates to seek business support from these entities.
Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat encouraged trainees to explore technology and social media to promote their skills and businesses, cautioning against misusing social media to project inaccurate business images.
Commissioner for WAPA, Mrs. Bolaji Dada, highlighted the program’s goal of fighting poverty and improving residents’ livelihoods, emphasizing the need for graduates to leverage their skills for productive ventures.
Out of the graduates, 3,263 were female, and 1,329 were male. Notably, nineteen outstanding trainees across vocational courses received equipment to immediately kickstart their crafts, marking a step toward their future enterprises.
