Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, celebrated the graduation of 5,309 students from the 2024/2025 session of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation’s (WAPA) Skills Acquisition Centres across the state.
The colourful graduation ceremony, which held at De-Blue Roof, LTV 8, Agidingbi, saw thousands of students receive certifications after undergoing intensive training in various vocational and technical skills designed to boost self-reliance and economic empowerment.
The graduates were trained in diverse areas such as aluminum fabrication, welding, carpentry, photography, barbing, catering, hairdressing, bead-making, vulcanizing, hat making, gele styling, and makeup artistry, among others.
The initiative is part of the state government’s ongoing efforts to tackle unemployment, reduce poverty, and build a skilled workforce in line with its THEMES+ development agenda.
According to a statement shared via the official X handle of the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Mr. Jubril Gawat, the latest cohort brings the total number of beneficiaries trained under the Sanwo-Olu administration to over 34,000 individuals, all of whom have successfully passed through the state’s 19 Skills Acquisition Centres.
“Governor of Lagos State, Mr. #jidesanwoolu today at the Year 2024 Graduates of the Skills Acquisition Centers in Lagos State. 5,309 students from the 2024/2025 session of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation’s 19 Skills and Acquisition Centres across the State,” the statement read in part.
The graduation underscores the administration’s commitment to equipping Lagosians with market-relevant, income-generating skills, especially targeting women, youths, and the unemployed.
It also reflects the government’s resolve to institutionalize vocational training as a viable alternative to white-collar jobs in Nigeria’s evolving economy.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu reiterated his administration’s focus on poverty alleviation through sustainable human capital development.
He congratulated the graduates for their dedication and encouraged them to apply their newly acquired skills towards building businesses that would not only sustain them but also create employment opportunities for others.
The Skills Acquisition programme, under the purview of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has remained a crucial pillar of the state’s poverty reduction and economic empowerment strategy, especially in underserved communities.
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