Empowerment: Experts hammer on opportunities in SMEs, as LASG convenes Island youths on sustainable dev’t
…We will sustain commitment to their development — Govt
By Moses Adeniyi
Resource Experts in Nigeria’s economy have called on youths in Lagos to turn to optimising opportunities in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) for human capital development against resorting to illicit practices.
Experts who spoke at the Lagos Island Economic Summit themed “Sustainable Youth Development” convened by the Lagos State Government (LASG) through the Sustainable Development Goals and Investment (Governor’s Office), mentioned that though the economic conditions may be posing challenges, yet it was not enough reason for youths to resort to sharp practices.
The Government by the forum aimed to illustrate how youth-focused economic initiatives can provide viable opportunities to sustainable development, while simultaneously engaging youths as peacemakers and positive change agents.
The summit was also targetted at providing relevance and deeper understanding of future challenges, insights and proposals on sustainable economic growth.
According to the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Investment, Mrs. Solape Hammond, the flagship initiative between the Office of Sustainable Development Goals and Investment and the Lagos Island Connect (LIC) aimed at advancing the social-economic well-being of young people in the State, particularly on the Lagos Island axis.
Hammond who stressed that it remains important to harness the youthful demographic character of Lagos, said it was strategic to leverage on the comparative advantages that the potential holds.
“The world has seen the opportunities that Lagos offers, it now behoves on us to empower the future. We cannot afford to waste this demographic dividend. We must act with fierce urgency and leverage on the comparative advantages of the important segment of our society,” she said.
Hammond while noting that mass immigration of youths to other parts of world demands urgent attention, averred that “it has become apparent that the level of investments in the youth will determine the pace of social-economic growth and development as well as the security of our society.”
“We cannot continue to allow the pervasive despondency leading our youths to migrate to other countries for a better future. We are losing their skills and talent at a time when we need our best minds to tackle our most pressing problems and challenges.
“The young population are beneficiaries as well as victims of major societal changes confronted by a paradox: to seek to be integrated into an existing order or to serve as a force to transform that order,” she said.
Hammond added that: “The lack of opportunities for young people to attain their full potential have significant social repercussions on their lives and those around them. This problem deprives them from exploring their God given talents and consequently slows down the prosperity, stability and equality within that society.”
Submitting that the need to tackle the assurgent unemployment rate in the Country is inevitably a collective action, she mentioned that the youth unemployment and job creation is an utmost priority on the agenda of the State Government.
“Impressively, this administration has the record of working with the youths for their development and inclusive growth through various Youth Empowerment Initiative.
“Programmes such as Agric-YES initiative; Lagos State Volunteer Corp; Solar Power Training programme in partnership with IITA; Upskilling and Trade Enhancement Programme for Artisans; Waste to Wealth initiative and Arts and Crafts training programme in Coconut Value Chain, are some of the major intervention projects the administration created,” she said.
Other notable youth programmes she noted include: “Young African Work in partnership with IITA; Capacity Building programme in fisheries value chain; Lagos Agricprenuership Programme (LAP); Eko Coconut Bread Expansive Initiative; Agro-processing Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support (APPEALS) and many other lives changing empowerment projects.”
Of all of the initiatives, over 245,000 youths have benefited and empowered, Hammond said, mentioning that “at present, 210,000 others are at various stages of completing their empowerment and training programmes across different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government.”
“We are firm believers in the youths as agents of change. It is therefore imperative that we provide them with necessary skills, training and access to resources needed to enable them reach their goals in life.
“Given that youths are the powerhouse of the future and the core human capital needed for our societies to flourish and prosper, there is a need to strengthen partnership to address key challenges that are preventing sustainable economic growth and employment for our youths.
“That is why this administration under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is keen towards identifying, tapping and optimally harnessing the potentials of the youth of the society in such a way as to strike a judicious balance between their own quality of life as well as towards their meaningful contribution to the society,” she said.
In his submission, CEO Construction Kaiser Limited, Igbuan Okaisabor, speaking on the role of the private sector and SMEs in tackling the unemployment problem in the Country, said the Nigerian youths which constitute well over 60 per cent of the population should be in the position of “deciding how the Country ought to be run.”
“If you constitute 60 per cent of the population, then you should have a say on what goes on in the Country,” Okaisabor said.
According to him, against resorting to illicit practices such as internet fraud as an excuse for harsh economy, there are opportunities for youths in SMEs which he said was the major driver of economic growth.
In her position, the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Dr. Lola Akande, represented by the Director, Cooperative Services of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, S. IBrahim, said it was important to capitalise on improvement goals for youths, mentioning that the theme of the summit was very timely following present realities.
Former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Wale Edun, said he looks forward to the summit being productive to make “Lagos Island a centre for young people, a centre for innovation, and a hub for activities of young people,” to meet their desired goals.”
The forum had in attendance top government functionaries, senior policy makers, captains of industries, development advocates, business executives and young entrepreneurs positioned for high-level discussions on how best to harness the potentials of the youths for sustainable economic prosperity.
The event, being the first of its kind on Lagos Island, brought together a broad and diverse coalition of allies to identify and nurture innovative youths for wealth creation, capital formation and economic sustainability.
