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By Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that plans were in the pipeline to empower 8,000 youth entrepreneurs under its Jobs Initiative Lagos (JIL), aimed at preparing beneficiaries for immediate entry into the workforce.
This is coming just as the state government announced a collaboration with the private sector to hold the maiden edition of the Lagos Island Business Connect, 2022
The state’s Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Co-operatives, Mrs Lola Akande, revealed this while briefing the press on various efforts of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to boost the state’s economy.
The maiden edition of the Lagos Island Business Connect, 2022, is slated for Thursday, 24th to Sunday, 27th November 2022, with the theme; “Edu-Social For Entrepreneurs In Lagos Island & Lagos State Towards Social Economic Empowerment”.
The event tagged, ‘LI-BIZ-FAIR’, is designed to encourage the promotion of business and social enterprise among entrepreneurs – particularly the youths.
The commissioner said the well-thought-out LI-BIZ-Fair, bears direct relevance to the clarion call of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of transforming and positioning the state for the 21st-century economy.
She said the fair is designed to encourage the promotion of business and social enterprise among entrepreneurs – particularly the youths, create opportunities to identify comparative advantages present in Lagos Island and strengthen bottom-up growth for continuous business interaction and socio-economic security.
The commissioner said that the event will also provide training opportunities for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Business Education, Networking and Leadership qualities during the masterclass sessions.
Noting that the state is collaborating with the organisers because the Biz Fair aligns with the Federal Government’s Policy on diversification of the economy from the focus on oil to non-oil export, Akande added: “We also consider the Fair quite important because while it focuses on all MSMEs in Lagos Island in particular and Lagos State/Nigeria in general, it is giving special attention to youth entrepreneurs.
“At various times, the Nigerian MSMEs, especially the youths, have been advised not to let lack of finance be an impediment to their ability to build successful businesses, create wealth and contribute their quota to the society.
“Even more important in the quest for self-realization are such other factors as skills training, continuous learning, being aware of their surroundings and what obtains globally in the business world, among others.”
She noted that the Sanwo-Olu government has provided social economic empowerment and interventions in various ways for the MSMEs of which the state’s teeming youth form a major part.
Akande said that the present administration has also commenced a youth empowerment programme, under its Jobs Initiative Lagos (JIL), targeted at final-year students and those in penultimate classes in higher institutions.
She assured that the Sanwo-Olu administration will continue to work towards implementing this initiative as a yearly programme/event.
The programme targets 8,000 entrepreneurs, who will undergo entrepreneurship and employability skills training programmes, the commissioner added.
