Empowering Youths for National Development

With the empowerment of 703 youths that participated in the free vocational and entrepreneurship skills development programmes at various vocational training centres by the Lagos Agency for Mass Education, Funmi Ogundare writes that the move will keep them from social vices and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Nigeria

For nine months, the Lagos Agency for Mass Education held free vocational training for more than 700 youths across the seven vocational training centres in the six educational districts in the state.

The vocational training and entrepreneurship development programme aims to enable the youths to become self-reliant and employers of labour. They were trained in skills like hairdressing, sewing, catering, event decoration, music, make-up, phone repairs, computer repairs, among others. Speaking at the graduation ceremony for 119 trainees at Igbo Oluwo Vocational Training Centre, Ikorodu, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu urged the youths to make the best use of the opportunity to develop themselves and become relevant in the nation’s economic redevelopment plans.

The governor, represented by the Special Adviser on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, noted that his administration’s various empowerment programmes would help youths develop their potential. “This, we believe as a government, will address the issue of youth restiveness, reduce crimes and other vices capable of undermining development efforts across the country,” he stated.

Sanwo-Olu said youth development is crucial to achieving the security and governance pillar of his administration’s development agenda. Beneficiaries of entrepreneurship skills and vocational programmes who meet government requirements will be assisted through the Lagos State Employment Trust Funds (LSETF) to secure start-up capital for their businesses.

Director of the Agency for Mass Education, Oluwakemi Kalesanwo, noted that the training remained an avenue for addressing poverty. Other graduation ceremonies were held at Rotary Vocational Training Centre, Igbogbo and Ideal Girls High School, Randle Avenue for Sabo and Surulere vocational centres. The special adviser congratulated the 248 graduating trainees of Igbogbo and 113 graduands of Surulere and Sabo vocational centres. The special adviser said other participants also graduated from the state’s vocational centres, which had 703 students completing their competency development vocational training programmes across the seven locations in Lagos.

Wahab said, “As a proactive government, we have lined up a lot of youth empowerment programmes, a lot of skills development initiatives that will bring out the best in our youths and give them the opportunity to use their talents and creativities to develop themselves and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of their states and country at large.”

He recalled that the government could train and empower 748 vocational youths in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kalesanwo disclosed that the venue of the graduation ceremony at Igbogbo was provided by the Rotary Club, District 9011, as part of its youth development and partnership programme.

In a goodwill message, the Oba of Igbogbo Kingdom, Oba Semiu Orimadegun Kasali, commended the state government for programmes, noting that they will curb crimes and promote development. Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Bimbo Odubona, a cosmetics and make-up entrepreneur, described the programme as the best she had attended. Another participant, Sandra Nwagbara from Delta, stated, “The government just made it possible for everybody, irrespective of state, religion, political affinity or tribal grouping. I am so grateful to the Lagos government.”

The programme’s highlight was the presentation of prizes to trainees who distinguished themselves in various vocations. Immediately after the ceremonies held in the six educational districts in Lagos, the agency held a sensitisation programme for the over 700 newly certified entrepreneurs by the state government.

Kalesanwo explained that the programme was organised to expose the trainees to various opportunities available to assist and put small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the track towards becoming multimillion-naira firms.

She added that the Lagos government increased the number of existing vocational centres controlled by the agency from seven to nine to reduce the distance youths covered before having access to the facilities across the state. Kalesanwo maintained that the two additional facilities in Badagry and Epe have been constructed and would become operational in August to give youths in communities across the axis the opportunity to become entrepreneurs.

An assistant director in the agency, Kikelomo Olawunmi, told the trainees that investigations conducted over the years showed that many entrepreneurs were not financially literate, affecting their business expansion.
Olawunmi urged the participants to focus on book-keeping and accountability to keep their businesses afloat.

On the mode of loan disbursement, the Liason Officer for Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Ikorodu branch, Jubril Matti, explained that the government created the fund for entrepreneurs to start and expand businesses with ease across the state. Matti disclosed that each of the trainees has the opportunity to get at least between N50,000 and N250,000 loans and that they have a 15-month window to pay back.