The Lagos State Government has graduated 6,190 residents from its free vocational and entrepreneurial training programme as the administration seeks to move beneficiaries beyond classroom instruction into actual businesses and income-generating activities.
The graduates, comprising 4,225 women and 1,963 men, completed the 2025 Skills Acquisition Programme (SAP) of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
They were presented with certificates at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the De Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the initiative was designed to equip residents with practical abilities that could strengthen household earnings and participation in the state’s economy.
She said the government’s investment in vocational education was intended to give residents the means to create economic opportunities rather than depend solely on conventional employment.
The governor, in his message, described the Free Skills Acquisition Centres as a platform through which residents could receive vocational and business training without paying tuition.
He said the programme could help beneficiaries establish enterprises, obtain employment and improve their livelihoods.
Sanwo-Olu also drew attention to the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, a complementary scheme intended to help trained residents make the difficult transition from acquiring a skill to setting up a viable enterprise.
According to him, more than 3,800 Lagos residents received productive equipment and start-up assistance through the 2026 edition of MESI. Some of the recipients were outstanding graduates of the Skills Acquisition Centres.
The governor also advised the new graduates to keep refining their crafts, adopt technology, understand what customers want, and take advantage of available opportunities.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Cecilia Dada, said the training scheme formed a key part of the ministry’s strategy for promoting economic independence and tackling poverty.
She disclosed that the ministry operates 19 Skills Acquisition Centres across the five IBILE divisions, in addition to the Women Development Centre (WDC) in Agege.
The network gives residents access to 20 training locations offering tuition-free instruction in different vocational and entrepreneurial fields.
Dada said the ministry had also taken its empowerment activities to grassroots, rural, and riverine communities, allowing residents outside major urban centres to access the programmes.
At the ceremony, motivational speaker Ariori Rachael Eyitayo challenged the graduates to turn their new knowledge into productive work.
She described the next stage as a transition from “Learning to Earning”. He stressed that the real worth of vocational training would be reflected in the products created, services delivered, and value provided to customers.
“Learning to earning” should be the next step for the graduates, Eyitayo said.
She highlighted quality, discipline, customer relations, and awareness of market demands as essential to building sustainable ventures.
Graduates from different fields also recounted their experiences. They included Sinjeganji Prisca, trained in Hair Dressing and Cosmetology; Okon Essien Babatunde, who studied Woodwork and Furniture Making; Azeez Mariam, a Catering and Hotel Management graduate; and Omotosho Fathia, trained in Fashion Designing and Dress Making.
The programme also featured the presentation of equipment to the best graduating students from each centre. The items are expected to provide practical support as the beneficiaries begin applying their skills commercially.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Rianat Ajibike Onigbanjo, commended the state government for sustaining the initiative and acknowledged the contributions of directors, instructors, parents, and guardians.
She congratulated the 6,190 beneficiaries and encouraged them to put their training to productive use while continuing to improve their capabilities.
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