‘Quality human capital can drive sustainable economic development’

Worried by the dearth of skilled manpower in the country, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has stated that quality human capital can be a major driver of sustainable economic transformation, if capacity of youths are developed.

Besides, the chamber has empowered 70 mentees with the requisite entrepreneurial skills to build their capacity to compete at the global competitive market space.
The president, LCCI, Dr. Nike Akande, explained that the initiative by the chamber was aimed at contributing to the development of the nation’s youth and also to facilitate their self-discovery, saying that this is the way to harness the huge human capital potentials, which the youthful population offers.

Akande during the 2016 LCCI entrepreneurship programme, added that quality human capital can be a major driver of sustainable economic transformation, pointing out that people are important to make things happen in any system.

According to her, the mentoring programme compliments its mission as a chamber to promote and protect the interests of its members and the business community at large through public policy advocacy, creation and facilitation of investment opportunities, provision of business development services and observance of the highest standards of business ethics.
She added that the mentoring programme started three years ago with 25 mentees, saying that by the end of 2015, the chamber had trained and mentored 93 young entrepreneurs most of whom are doing very well in their various spheres of enterprise.
“Today, we are admitting another set of 70 young Nigerians who will be graduates of this programme in the next six months. I am pleased to inform you that the council of the LCCI only recently approved the admission of the graduates of our mentoring programme into the membership of the chamber on very concessionary terms. The idea is to nurture the next generation of businessmen and women,” she said.

The Minister, Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, represented by the State Coordinator of the Ministry, Wale Shado commended the leadership of the chamber for the strategic initiative, noting that the programme is apt and timely when viewed against the backdrop of the present administration’s agenda on employment generation and youth empowerment for sustainable development.

According to him, efforts are in place by the federal government to provide experiences and opportunities for youths and adults to bring forth the best within them to constantly develop and enhance their abilities and take responsibilities to make positive contributions to their communities.

“It is in the light of the foregoing that I enjoin all well meaning Nigerians to support the laudable initiative of the chamber in particular and the government at all levels in general in the fight against unemployment in all its ramifications through employment generation, entrepreneurship development and mentoring to promote self-reliance and development,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Director General, LCCI, Muda Yusuf, reiterated that the mentoring programme since inception has been a huge success story, noting that the current batch of mentees will have a similar and even better experience.