Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged the 4,592 fresh graduands from the state’s skills acquisition centres to harness the knowledge acquired to uplift themselves from poverty. The graduates, trained in various vocations such as tailoring, bead making, catering, shoe making, and carpentry, were celebrated at a graduation ceremony held at the Blue Roof, Alausa, Ikeja.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, addressing the graduands, emphasized the importance of being good ambassadors and applying the skills acquired to improve their lives. He highlighted the government’s commitment to creating job opportunities and making life meaningful for citizens through purposeful governance.
“Today, we are seeing that the average age of graduates is 24 years. We want it at a young age for the government to support you, for you to have the skills that can uplift you because the white collar jobs are not there every day.” – Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Governor acknowledged the graduates’ average age of 24, emphasizing the significance of acquiring skills at a young age to enhance support from the government and provide alternatives to traditional employment. Sanwo-Olu encouraged the graduates to use the acquired skills to raise their standard of living.
“Use the opportunity given to you to empower yourselves. Let the training count from the little drops to form a mighty ocean.” – Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
He advised them not to be discouraged by initial mistakes, emphasizing the importance of learning from errors and persevering in the pursuit of success. The Governor urged the graduates to leverage the opportunity to empower themselves and transform their lives.
“Don’t ever get scared of your first attempt, don’t get discouraged and then throw in the towel. Learn from your mistakes, there is no short cut to success but you must believe in yourselves.” – Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, expressed joy at the successful ceremony and praised Governor Sanwo-Olu’s support over the past four years. She encouraged the graduates to take pride in their training and leverage technology to market their products.
“We understand the potentials our youth possess, it is our responsibility to unleash the potentials.” – Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation
During the ceremony, former students of the skills acquisition centres shared success stories, emphasizing the positive impact of the state government’s initiative. Graduates expressed gratitude for the opportunity to acquire practical skills, with some becoming employers of labor in their chosen fields.
