Lagos to graduate, empower 4,592 from 19 Skill Acquisition Centres Wednesday
By Moses Adeniyi
No less than 4,592 graduands will be graduated by the Lagos State Government on Wednesday (today) and certified for various skills acquired for the labour market.
The graduands under the empowerment programmes of the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) have undergone training in skills acquired across the 19 Skill Acquisition Centres spread across the State.
Graduates of the Skill Acquisition Centres are also to be empowered with kits and access to loans for the establishment of their own businesses.
The skills for which they have been trained include sowing, catering, barbing, photography and adult literacy, among others, ranging between six and 12 months.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada, disclosed this on Tuesday at the strategic Year 2023 Interactive Meeting with Women – focused Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) organised by the Ministry of WAPA.
The State Government in order to alleviate poverty, stem fruitless search for unavailable white collar jobs as well as to reduce the incidences of domestic violence, has continued its efforts by providing an enabling environment through the establishment of Skill Acquisition Centres across the three Senatorial Districts of the State to create more job opportunities for women and young people.
The Centres are equipped with modern training equipments to enable the students respond adequately to the needs of the labour market to be gainfully employed and financially independent.
The syllabus is reviewed regularly in collaboration with the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board and the students are certificated and empowered at the end of their programmes to enable them compete favourably in the market.
The efforts, WAPA Commissioner noted has helped to foster gender equation and empowerment of womenfolk, saying it is a step taken in the right direction as an antidote to reducing poverty to the bearest minimum, particularly among women.
Dada said “when women are given equal access to education, healthcare, employment, and decision-making positions, they not only improve their own lives, but also contribute significantly to the overall development of our communities and nation.”
“Nevertheless, despite the progress made over the years, gender – inequality still persists in various forms across different sectors of our society,” she stated.
She lamented that it was “sad to note that women persistently face barriers in their full participation and representation across public and private spheres,” noting that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is saddled with the responsibility of reducing poverty to its barest minimum through the various empowerment programmes for women as well as with the of protection of women’s rights in Lagos State.
“At the inception of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Administration, he has reiterated his commitment to improve the quality of lives of Lagosians through the re-formed T.H.E.M.E.S. plus Agenda to achieve the visions of a Greater and Smarter Lagos,” she noted.
On the stakeholders engagement, she said, the engagement with the NGOs would further ensure formulation of strategies to develop practical solutions to promote gender – equality and inclusive development as a holistic approach across Lagos State.
“Gender equality is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue that requires the engagement and involvement of all stakeholders.
“It is therefore heartening and motivating to see representatives from government agencies, civil society organizations, academia, and the private sector in attendance today.
“This diversity in perspectives and experiences will undoubtedly enrich our discussions and contribute Immensely to the formulation of effective strategies to address the challenges facing women in our society,” she said
The Commissioner said the Ministry seeks to leverage enhancing economic empowerment; education and skills development; health and reproductive rights; gender-based violence prevention and response; social protection programmes; advocacy and policy reform; collaborations and partnerships; collaborations and partnerships; data collection and analysis to empower and protect women.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of WAPA, Mrs Oluyemi Kalesanwo said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government has taken collaboration with the NGOs key to foster social inclusion and gender equality as captured in the THEMES + agenda, the policy thrust of the administration’s second term.
She stressed on the importance of getting data to access intervention to more humanitarian courses, calling on the stakeholders to “make it a point of duty” to feed the Ministry with relevant data.
“We will continue to partner with you for a better Lagos,” she said.
