LAGOS GOVERNMENT URGES GRADUATES TO LEVERAGE SKILLS FOR ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has urged graduates of its Skills Acquisition Centres to put the vocational and entrepreneurial knowledge gained during their training into practice by establishing sustainable businesses and contributing to the state’s economic growth.
Speaking on Tuesday, at the event held at De-Blue Roof, LTV 8, Agidingbi, Lagos, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the link between skills acquisition, access to productive tools and enterprise development.
Sanwo-Olu highlighted the 2026 Microenterprise Support Initiative (MESI), which recently empowered more than 3,800 beneficiaries with business capital and productive equipment.
He said some of the beneficiaries were drawn from outstanding trainees of the state’s Skills Acquisition Centres, reflecting the administration’s strategy of identifying potentials, providing the necessary support and helping residents transform vocational skills into sustainable businesses.
The governor explained that his administration’s empowerment model was designed to create a progression from skills to livelihoods, livelihoods to enterprises, and enterprises to wealth, comfort and positive impact.
He described Lagos as a city driven by enterprise, resilience, courage and hard work, noting that millions of residents depend on small businesses, trade and services for their livelihoods.
Sanwo-Olu noted that basic productive tools could serve as the foundation for viable enterprises, citing sewing machines, freezers and cameras as examples of equipment that could be transformed into fashion, food and creative businesses respectively.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to expanding economic opportunities for women, young people and vulnerable residents across the state, including those in grassroots and riverine communities.
He further urged the graduates to continue learning even after completing their training, encouraging them to leverage technology to attract customers, expand their businesses and remain competitive.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon.(Mrs.) Bolaji Cecilia Dada, urged the graduates to become ambassadors of the ministry and the Lagos State Government by applying their newly acquired skills and encouraging others to take advantage of opportunities available through the state’s free Skills Acquisition Centres.
She explained that the training extended beyond vocational education, as the ministry also equipped participants with essential entrepreneurial skills to help them establish, manage and grow successful businesses.
According to her, the beneficiaries were trained in areas such as bookkeeping, business management and customer relations, alongside their various chosen vocations.
Dada stressed that technical expertise alone was insufficient to guarantee success, advising the graduates to develop strong interpersonal and customer-service skills.
“You are experts in your various chosen vocations, but you must also teach yourself interpersonal relationships with your customers,” she said.
She went further by urging the beneficiaries to remain focused and resilient, particularly when faced with challenges in their businesses. She advised them to handle difficult customer interactions professionally and avoid allowing setbacks to discourage them.
The WAPA Commissioner encouraged the graduates to take charge of their future and transform their acquired skills into meaningful economic opportunities.
“Now you are graduating. It is time for you to take the bull by the horn. It’s time for you to go out there and make a way for yourself,” she said.
She also disclosed that more than 35,000 people had graduated from the state’s skills acquisition centres between 2019 and the present, adding that the latest beneficiaries had increased the total number to more than 40,000.
Dada commended the state governor for prioritising empowerment initiatives aimed at improving the livelihoods of residents and assured that the ministry would continue to strengthen its programmes and expand opportunities for more people across the state.
The commissioner congratulated the graduating class and urged them to maximise the knowledge and skills acquired during their training, describing their graduation as the beginning of a new phase filled with opportunities for themselves, their families and the state.
She also disclosed that some former beneficiaries were present at the ceremony to share their experiences and demonstrate how they had successfully utilised the skills acquired through the government’s intervention.
The beneficiaries were also advised to build strong reputations based on quality, reliability and integrity, while remaining committed to growing their businesses regardless of their size.
The graduation ceremony, therefore, marked not only the completion of the beneficiaries’ vocational training but also the beginning of a new phase in their journey towards entrepreneurship, self-reliance and economic empowerment.
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