Trains 2,100 In 2023
The Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), says it has facilitated the training of about 13,500 women through various skill acquisition programmes.
In a statement, yesterday, the Commissioner for Women and Poverty Alleviation, Cecilia Bolaji Dada, disclosed this while speaking at the year 2023 Micro-enterprise Support Scheme (MESI) held at the skills acquisition centre, Isheri Olowo-Ira, Lagos. `
Dada said the state government has established 20 functional skills acquisition centres, where no fewer than 20 vocations are taught free of charge to students on a long-term modules, adding that graduands are awarded certificates of competency at the end of their trainings, which they can further use to apply for loans at the Lagos State Employment Trust funds to support their budding businesses.
“The four weeks short–term skills acquisition programme is aimed at curbing the issues of unemployment and empowering citizens towards self-reliance with a bid to achieve a viable economy.
“Participants are trained on various vocations and empowered with start-up packs upon graduation, in order to kick- start their businesses even right from their respective homes. So far, 13,500 participants had benefited from this programme from 2019 till date.”
According to her, about 2,100 persons have benefitted for the year 2023 MESI, sponsored by the state government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).
She explained that of the number, 60 were snail farmers who had gone through training at government-approved vocational centres.
Beneficiaries got milling machines, sewing machines, professional hair-dryers, barbing kits with sterilising units and generators, popcorn machines, shawarma grillers and toasting machines, snail pens, industrial gas cookers, tile laying machines, and garri processing equipment to enhance their trade proficiencies.
Dada added that the MESI programme has so far empowered 10,385 beneficiaries who have full Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) registrations, irrespective of ethnicity and religion, from 2019 till date.
She said: “During the last phase of this programme, we gave out garri processing machines, and we have also trained various categories of women at Avia Farm in Badagry. For us as a ministry, we don’t just allow our trainees to walk away, but we support them with materials to enable them start their businesses.”
