Lagos State has provided business tools and equipment to 5,339 residents while graduating 5,310 people from its tuition-free skills acquisition centres, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce poverty and support entrepreneurship across the state.
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The intervention was implemented through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) and forms part of the economic empowerment strategy of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, disclosed the figures during the ministry’s ministerial press briefing held to mark the third year of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
According to the commissioner, the state has continued to invest in skills development and enterprise support through its network of 19 Skills Acquisition Centres located across the five divisions of Lagos, alongside the Women Development Centre in Agege.
The training centres offer vocational programmes designed to equip residents with practical skills that can be converted into income-generating opportunities. During the review period, a total of 5,310 trainees successfully completed their programmes.
The graduates received training in several vocational areas including fashion design, catering, cosmetology, barbing, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), welding, furniture making, photography, textile production and other technical and creative trades.
Dada said the objective of the programme goes beyond training, noting that many beneficiaries have gone on to establish businesses and create jobs for others.
She explained that the state government has deliberately linked skills acquisition with enterprise support to ensure that graduates are not left without the resources required to start their businesses.
To bridge that gap, the government provided tools and equipment to 5,339 beneficiaries through the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI).
The initiative is designed to help residents convert acquired skills into sustainable sources of income by removing one of the biggest barriers facing new entrepreneurs — access to startup equipment.
According to the commissioner, approximately 70 per cent of those who received support under MESI were graduates of the state-owned skills acquisition centres.
The figures suggest that Lagos is increasingly adopting a model that combines vocational training with post-training business support, rather than treating both interventions as separate programmes.
“Through the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, beneficiaries have been provided with equipment and tools to grow businesses, turning dreams into livelihoods and livelihoods into engines of economic growth,” Dada said.
The commissioner noted that the initiative is targeted at women, young adults and other vulnerable groups across Lagos State.
She said the programme is intended to promote self-reliance, financial independence and long-term economic stability by giving beneficiaries the means to establish and expand small businesses.
The MESI programme has become one of the state’s major channels for supporting micro-enterprises, particularly among residents who may not have access to conventional financing or startup capital.
For many small business owners, the cost of purchasing equipment remains one of the biggest obstacles to launching a business after completing vocational training. By providing tools directly to beneficiaries, the state aims to reduce that burden and increase the chances of business survival.
Beyond vocational training and enterprise support, WAPA also expanded its digital empowerment efforts during the review period.
Dada disclosed that 600 beneficiaries received Android phones after completing a three-day Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Training Programme organised by the ministry.
The programme targeted artisans, market women, traders and young entrepreneurs, providing them with practical knowledge in digital marketing, social media branding, customer engagement and e-commerce operations.
The commissioner said the initiative was introduced to help small business owners take advantage of opportunities in the digital economy.
As more businesses rely on online platforms to attract customers and increase sales, digital skills are becoming increasingly important for entrepreneurs operating in both urban and semi-urban communities.
According to Dada, the training was designed to ensure that economically active residents are not excluded from emerging opportunities created by digital technology.
The ministry also recorded progress in agricultural empowerment programmes targeted at women.
The commissioner revealed that 1,485 women benefited from agricultural training and empowerment initiatives conducted at the ministry’s farm settlement in Avia, Badagry.
Participants received training in cassava cultivation, garri processing, fish farming, vegetable production and other agribusiness activities aimed at improving food production and household income.
The agricultural programme reflects the state’s broader effort to create multiple pathways to economic independence for residents, particularly women seeking opportunities in agribusiness.
In addition, WAPA supported another 1,500 residents through its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme (LEEP).
The beneficiaries, including persons living with disabilities, received vocational training as well as starter packs to help them establish businesses.
The programme focuses on improving employability, supporting entrepreneurship and expanding economic opportunities for vulnerable residents.
Taken together, the figures released by the ministry point to a broad-based approach to poverty reduction that combines skills acquisition, business support, digital inclusion and agricultural empowerment.
Rather than relying solely on welfare-based interventions, the programmes are structured around helping beneficiaries acquire practical skills and the resources needed to generate sustainable income.
Dada said the ministry remains committed to expanding access to economic opportunities and supporting residents in their efforts to become financially independent.
“Our interventions are designed to ensure that residents acquire the skills, tools and confidence required to become financially independent and contribute meaningfully to the economy of Lagos State,” she said.
Nigeria Startup News reports that with 5,310 residents completing vocational training and 5,339 beneficiaries receiving business equipment within one year, the latest figures highlight the scale of Lagos State’s investment in skills development and micro-enterprise growth as part of its wider poverty alleviation strategy.
