No fewer than 1,200 artisans have been empowered with work tools by the Lagos State government after graduating from the up-skilling programme of the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Centres.
Bateren Nofisat Yinka, 50, was one of the six artisans honoured by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the ‘best-graduating tradesmen’ during the graduation.
The trader, nominated for the skill acquisition programme by the Bamboo Marketers Association, alongside others, took the intensive eight-week vocational training midwifed by the state ministry of wealth creation and employment.
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At the 12th graduation held on Tuesday at De Blue Roof of Lagos Television in Agidingbi, 800 artisans and 400 tradesmen across 60 participating traders’ associations were empowered by the state government with modern tools and equipment to develop their businesses.
The intervention was designed to scale up the beneficiaries’ technical and entrepreneurial skills, to broaden their knowledge and enhance their efficiency, productivity and competitiveness in the modern marketplace.
The empowerment was in furtherance of the social inclusion, gender equality and youth empowerment pillar of the Sanwo-Olu administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S Plus development agenda, aimed at bridging income disparity and enhancing economic opportunities.
The governor said the up-skilling programme was introduced specifically to address skill shortfalls and poor business management in the informal sector where artisans held major economic roles.
Sanwo-Olu said artisans and tradesmen formed the backbone of the State’s economy, stressing that the Government tailored the training to focus on empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with modern techniques that would enable them to improve productivity and income.
“We have initiated this intervention to bring hope to hardworking artisans and traders who needed improvement in their crafts. This rigorous training you have just completed will help you to get better at your job, given the new skills you have gained. We expect a great turnaround in your jobs and the income earned from your chosen crafts. The economic value to be derived from your improved productivity is expected to reflect positively on your lives, your communities and the state.
“Artisans and traders are part of the backbone of our economy, with a larger number of our population working and contributing to the State’s economic growth from the informal sector. Skilled and creative workers are part of our future needs. The world is changing fast and technology is one of the ways to make us work smarter. An evolving economic system requires new ideas and skills. With this training, we have given you the tools to create new opportunities for yourselves”, Sanwo-Olu said.
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The governor also provided modern tools for each trainee, urging them to impart the knowledge gained through the programme to members of their associations.
For those in need of business grants to improve their crafts, the governor advised them to apply for single-digit loan from the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). The agency, Sanwo-Olu said, offered the best loan assistance on working capital for traders seeking to expand their businesses.
“We are committed to helping you to grow and do well. By this journey, you are starting a new phase in your life. I enjoin you to be the best you can be in your vocations. Share the knowledge and experience gained from this training. The future belongs to people who are willing to adopt new techniques in this changing environment,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, wealth creation and employment commissioner, said the Sanwo-Olu administration has trained 7,400 artisans and tradesmen since the inception of the programme.
The commissioner said the training was divided into two sessions, with participants being taken through theoretical class work in the first three weeks, learning entrepreneurship development, customer relationship, health and safety, computing and digital marketing, communication skills, mindset orientation, digital fraud prevention and bookkeeping.
The remaining five weeks, Ajigbotafe said, were dedicated to learning practical lessons and demonstrations, as well as industrial tours.
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