By Segun Ajayi
Behind the affable demeanour of eminent persons are soft inclinations. For Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his soft spot for youth development is palpable. He has gone full throttle to tap into youths’ potentials and help them actualize their lofty dreams.
Late last year, the governor added gender equality, social inclusion and youth to his T.H.E.M.E.S developmental agenda, making it T.H.EM.E.S plus. Undoubtedly, he has lived by the promise not to leave anyone behind on account of their social statuses, gender or age since his inauguration for a second term on 29 May 2023.
In a society bedevilled by growing youth unemployment, the Sanwo-Olu -led administration has been deploying skill acquisition programmes to address the problem. An idle hand, a popular maxim says “is the devil’s workshop”. But for a youth inclined governor, “never again shall Lagos youths become willing tools in the hands of mischief makers”. Interestingly, the state government have deployed a number of programmes geared toward making the youths self-employed, employers of labour and wealth creators in their own rights.
For instance, over 16,900 youths have graduated from the state’s 20 skill acquisition centres in the last five years. The break-down shows that 200 youths have been trained in various soft skills including: CV writing, business planning, content creation and design, make-up skin routine and treatments, and social digital marketing as well as web application.
Leveraging on the importance of collaboration, the state’s Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment earlier in the year joined efforts with the Enterprise Development Centre of Pan Atlantic University to embark on a training programme for 10,000 women over the next 24 months. This initiative focuses on wealth creation, capacity building, and human capital development. The Sanwo-Olu-led administration’s forte so to speak, is the level playing field it avails every aspiring youth in Lagos regardless of tribe, religion and social class. As long as you’re desirous of economic empowerment, Sanwo-Olu’s Lagos is your desired destination. A sizeable number of initiatives are already in place to equip young persons with requisite skills and by that take them off the streets.
Between the state government and Jobberman, a job search platform, and West Africa Vocational Education Academy, a total of 678 youths have been trained in employable soft skills. Another 2, 170 young persons were trained across various vocational trades, out of which 1,172 were placed in jobs under the Employability Support Project.
As for preparing Lagos youths for future leadership responsibilities, the state government recently empowered over 1,000 young people at its Lagos Leadership Summit. The summit, themed ‘Leadership and Nigeria’s Future’, was put together by the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy, a leadership academy created for youth leadership empowerment by the Sanwo-Olu-led administration in February 2023. The Academy boasts of 30 fellows and its mission is to groom young, change-oriented individuals into innovative solution providers who will make positive impact in public service, their communities, and beyond.
Still on the governor’s soft sport for Lagos youths, sometimes you wonder how Lagos has suddenly become immune to students unrest and strike actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). All thanks to the state government, which introduced incentives aimed at ensuring enabling learning and working environment for students and lecturers. It is significant to note that lecturers in state-owned tertiary institutions no longer join their counterparts when their umbrella union, ASUU calls them out on strike. This has restored peace and academic stability to the schools.
As an icing on the cake, Sanwo-Olu recently announced an increase in the bursary allowance for students of Lagos origin from N50,000 to N60,000, and scholarship grant from N200,000 to N225,000 for both indigene and non-indigene students in the state. How magnanimous and youth-inclined can a leader be?
The governor further underscored the state’s predilection to accommodate all youths regardless of their states of origin by offering 100 job placements for the best 100 youth corps members of the Batch B, Stream 1 corps members, who just passed out at the state’s orientation camp in Iyana Ipaja, last week. This is in addition to N100,000 parting gift to each passing out member in recognition of their hard work and invaluable contributions to the state during the 2023/24 service year.
The governor did not stop there. He also pledged N5 billion for the construction of a new permanent orientation camp and a 32-seater bus to enhance transportation or corps members on assignment in Lagos State.
These are also insignia of a greater Lagos forged by a governor with uncommon passion for youths and the necessity of tapping into their potentials.
