Metro

Lagos trains 28,000 final year students in entrepreneurship

The Lagos State Government on Friday says it trained a total of 28,000 Lagos tertiary institutions final year students on entrepreneurship skills.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said this in Lagos during the 2021 ministerial briefing in commemoration of Gov. Babajide Sanwo Olu, the second year in office.

Tokunbo Wahab, Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education

Wahab said the training was done through the Jobs Initiative Lagos in 2020.

He said 28,000 youths across eight higher institutions in the state were selected and trained.

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The special adviser said that the job initiative was geared toward reducing unemployment rate and equip students with essential skills that would make them relevant.

Wahab said the students were trained in different employability skills such as entrepreneurship, work readiness tools, soft skills and market aligned courses that would make them more competitive in the global market.

According to him, Gov. Sanwo Olu is worried by the growing rate of unemployment in the country so he came up with the initiative to help the youth develop their skills and break barriers.

”A large number of graduates turned out yearly by the nation’s institutions of higher learning lacked employability skills.

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”There’s the need to bridge the gap, to reduce the growing rate of unemployment.

”Lack of employability skills exacerbates Nigeria’s unemployment problem. Not a few employers have complained about the skills mismatch in the employment market.

”They lament that graduates come out lacking both technical and soft skills to fit into the work place,” he said.

Wahab said that the government, having realised this gap, sought the collaboration of the private sector to develop a programme that would bridge the gap and empower the youth ahead for the work place challenges.

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Wahab said the state government widened the scope of the project which made it possible for more students to benefit.

On the Eko Digital initiative, he the state government in partnership with two private firms trained and equipped young students and pupils in Lagos primary and high schools in ICT.

He noted that they were trained on requisite knowledge, skills and technical know-how that would enable them to thrive in the technology space.

”Eko Digital is a programme designed to benefit the students and pupils in Lagos State with the right coding and technology skills that will enable them compete successfully with their counterparts from any part of the world.

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”The consultants have collaborated with the state government to train over 120,000 students/pupils in 720 schools in the areas of computer basics, Ssratch, and use of Internet, cloud services, and world wide web designs.

”Eko Digital initiatives will help to curb youth’s restiveness as it will provide them with the right skills that will enable them get valuable jobs after completing their education.

“It will also equip them with industry certified skills needed to get instant employment both within and outside the country,” he said. (NAN)

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