Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged graduates of the state’s Skills Acquisition Centres to embrace creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneurship as they step into the world of business.
Addressing more than 5,000 graduates from the 2024 training cycle under the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), the governor encouraged them to leverage their newly acquired skills to create jobs and drive economic growth in their communities.
The graduation ceremony, held at the Blue Roof, LTV Complex, Ikeja, marked the culmination of months of intensive vocational training in trades such as tailoring, catering, hairdressing, carpentry, bead making, tiling, paint production, leather works, and more.
Sanwo-Olu described the first five years of entrepreneurship as the most critical for long-term success, urging the graduates to remain focused and resilient.
“You have been equipped with practical skills—tools that can transform your lives and that of your families,” he said. “Take this opportunity seriously. Become creators of opportunities, not seekers.”
First Lady Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu hailed the occasion as not just a celebration of completed training, but the beginning of brighter futures.
“Each one of you graduating today stands as a symbol of hope, resilience, and the power of personal transformation,” she said. “With the right tools, anyone can rise above limitations and become a positive force in their home, community, and society.”
She commended her husband for his steadfast commitment to empowering women and youths, while praising Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Cecilia Bolaji Dada, for her visionary leadership.
Commissioner Dada disclosed that over 34,000 individuals have been trained across the 19 WAPA centres since 2019, with programmes also catering to vulnerable groups such as persons living with disabilities and survivors of gender-based violence through initiatives like the Life Skills Economic Empowerment Programme (LEEP).
“We are not only addressing poverty but also building a stronger, more self-reliant society,” she said.
Some graduates shared heartfelt gratitude to the Lagos State Government for what they described as “life-changing opportunities” and pledged to use their skills to launch businesses and uplift others in their communities.
The ceremony reaffirmed the Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to human capital development, poverty alleviation, and microeconomic growth, positioning Lagos as a hub for self-reliance and grassroots entrepreneurship.
