The Lagos States Universal Basic Education Board in collaboration with the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation has trained 15,000 indigent parents in skill acquisition.
At the closing ceremony of the three-week training held at St. Agnes Primary School, Maryland, Ikeja, the state government noted that the empowerment programme aimed at assisting the parents and reintegrating the out-of-school children.
Speaking at the event on Friday, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, revealed that over 15,000 parents had benefited from the programme.
They were trained in the making of tie and dye, stoning, throw pillows, Ankara craft, hair making, make-up and gele, event planning and decorations, soap making, and catering, among others.
She said, “This event is not just the end of the training programme, but the beginning of the opportunities and pathways towards a brighter future for each one of you. In addition to the short-term skills acquisition training programme, beneficiaries are equipped with entrepreneurial skills.
“This was done to technically equip all the trainees irrespective of the skills they have learned. They were all exposed to procedures of doing business, marketing strategies, business strategies and structures, sources of finance, sources of information and so on.”
She commended the trainers for their hard work, dedication, and resilience throughout the programme.
The Chairman of LASUBEB, Dr Hakeem Babatunde Shittu, said parents whose children were previously out of school due to their economic situation after COVID-19 had been trained in different life skills.
He said, “The Lagos state government through LASUBEB, has been working actively to ensure that students, irrespective of their race, ability and disability, have access to quality basic education. This programme has helped to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Lagos State.”
One of the parents, identified simply as Mrs. Kafayat, who specialised in makeup and gele making, expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
She stated that within two weeks of starting the programme, she was able to earn N10,000 by providing gele services at an occasion she attended.
The graduates also received essential equipment such as sewing machines, hair attachments, ring lights, and stoning machines, along with certificates from the government to support them in starting their businesses.
In August, the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State said it enrolled 200 Almajiri children into primary schools in the area to build their future.
The chairman of the council, Fatai Ayoola, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
