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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged well-meaning stakeholders and influential members of the society to take a cue from programmes and initiatives put in place by Alhaji Aliko Dangote to empower Nigerian youths and allow them make meaningful contributions to the growth and development of the economy.
Sanwo-Olu, who gave the charge at the Aliko Dangote Foundation- VDMA Technical Training Programme Launch, held in Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday, reiterated his administration’s commitment to partnering the private sector to empower and strengthen the teeming youth of the state and the country.
He noted that the initiative is a welcome addition to the capacity-building landscape, saying it is coming at a most appropriate time demanding urgent and ambitious solutions to the lingering national problems of unemployment and unemployability.
According to him,the most laudable initiative aligns with the state administration’s commitment to youth empowerment through vocational training and support.
“This is the major focus of our Employment Trust Fund (LSETF); the ongoing Graduate Internship Placement Programme (targeting thousands of unemployed graduates and early-career professionals); and several other catalytic initiatives of the Lagos State government,” he added.
According to Sanwo-Olu: “This ADF-VDMA Technical Training Programme is the latest manifestation of Alhaji Dangote’s philanthropic ambitions; a partnership between the
Aliko Dangote Foundation, Dangote Academy, VDMA, and NWS, aimed at empowering young Nigerian youths with technical knowledge and skills in the areas of electrical and mechanical engineering. It is a very welcome intervention in bridging the huge skills gap in our manufacturing workforce.
“We are all witnesses to the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria, especially youth unemployment. While governments at the federal and state levels are doing a lot to tackle the scourge of unemployment, there is still room for much more to be done.”
He said Lagos being the biggest economy in Africa has created a major unemployment gap, which makes it imperative for the state government to upscale the youth in technical skills for a better and prosperous future of the state.
He commended the Aliko Dangote Foundation for being a business empire, touching countless lives across several communities and States in Nigeria, and urged the German counterpart to be a worthy partner by bringing this initiative to Lagos in the next six months.
“This technical training programme will create unprecedented skilling and employment opportunities for Nigerian youth between the ages of 16 and 24, who possess secondary school certificates and a willingness to learn the theory and practice of mechanical, electrical, electronic and mechatronics engineering.
“Upon completion of the training programme, the trainees and all those who have taken part in the programme will be able to make meaningful contributions to societal development, by providing practical skills and solutions to some of the most significant technical and industrial challenges facing our country. New jobs will be created, existing ones will see expansion, and a new generation of young people will find professional inspiration and fulfilment.”
Chairman Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, at the event, said the ADF-VDMA initiative is for the greater benefits of Nigeria, by creating jobs for the teeming youths of the country.
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