Through its 19 Skills Acquisition Centres around the State, the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) has empowered 13,500 vulnerable women and youths residing in Lagos from Y2019 to the present.
The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, announced this at the graduation ceremony for the year 2021 Graduands of the Skills Acquisition Centres, held at the Isheri Skills Acquisition Centre, Ojodu-Berger, emphasising the State Government’s commitment to enhancing the welfare of the vulnerable and impoverished inhabitants through various empowerment programmes.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu, represented at the event by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, said: “Today, we empower indigent and vulnerable women and youths with vocational skills, competency certificates, and presented the best graduating students across the five divisions of the State with working tools towards their financial independence”.
Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, stated in her address that the Ministry has increased its efforts to equip the female gender, believing that it is the key to eliminating poverty and reducing all kinds of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the State.
Her words: “13,500 students have so far completed their training in 20 vocations at our 19 Skills Acquisition Centres from 2019 till date. Therefore, there is a need to continue to encourage them to maximise the skills they have learnt to enable them to compete favourably in the labour market”.
While urging all beneficiaries to brand their crafts and learn proper bookkeeping skills in order to access loans from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Dada also advised them to use social media marketing tools to gain adequate exposure for their products and attract customers from all over the world.
The Commissioner also encouraged citizens who are still unemployed or underemployed to enrol in any of Lagos State’s 19 Skills Acquisition Centres for a short-term (six months) or long-term (12 months) empowerment training programme.
Mrs. Oluyemi Kalesanwo, Permanent Secretary, WAPA, also spoke, saying that the State government recognises the critical and central role of women in the development of society, particularly in economic, social, and political progress, and that as a result, it has designed various policies and programmes to uplift vulnerable women and youths.
“These policies and programmes are focused on easing the plight of beneficiaries and are designed to improve their financial independence to effectively cater for their families and contribute to economic sustainability and development of Lagos State”, she added.
Ms. Moronke Azeez, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), who was represented by Mr. Olawale Oluwo, Director, Partnership, congratulated WAPA for its dedication to the advancement of women in the state.
She said: “The importance of learning a vocational skill cannot be over-emphasised, especially at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that businesses can thrive online without physical shops or offices. I must, therefore, encourage the beneficiaries to make appropriate use of their new skills and aim to be better in their chosen fields”.
Mrs. Joy Shittu-Igbodike, an alumnus of WAPA’s Skill Acquisition Centre and the Creative Director of JAEBEE Furniture Ltd, expressed sincere thanks to the government for its commitment to women’s empowerment and urged the new graduates to believe in their skills for self-improvement.
“I am grateful to WAPA for this initiative which has shaped my life tremendously, I urge you all to apply wisdom with hard work and continue to learn ways you can be better so that you would become masters of your craft”, she said.
The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of N100,000 to each of the 19 best graduating students, with all graduates receiving various equipment based on their acquired skills such as Photography, Textile Design, Computer Studies, Hair Dressing, Hat/Bead Making, Barbing, and Catering, among others.