Lagos pledges start-up support for 203 youths

Participants at the skills acquisition close-out ceremony. Photo: Idowu Abdullahi

The Lagos State Government has pledged continued support for 203 youths who recently completed vocational and skills acquisition training sponsored by the SOS Children’s Villages.

The state Commissioner of Commerce, Cooperative, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, made the pledge on Monday during the close-out ceremony for the 203 youths under the Empowering Lagos Youth Project of SOS Children’s Villages held at Radisson Blu in Ikeja.

Ambrose-Medebem, represented by the Director, Agribusiness Support Unit of the ministry, Osi-Efa Atitebi, said supporting the youths would improve economic opportunities among young people in Lagos.

She said the newly trained 203 youths would be supported with start-up capital, access to markets, and business development opportunities.

According to the commissioner, the support will help to transform their newly acquired skills into sustainable livelihoods.

“We can always link them to access funds with institutional organisations; we will link them to the market, and make sure they form a cooperative body through which we can always get back to them as a group and guide them to get registered with SON and NAFDAC.

“So I’m going to present their case to the Commissioner and the Permanent Secretary because they are just good. Next year, during the International Trade Fair at Tafawa Balewa Square, we shall create a booth for them where they will exhibit their products. We are mothers; we need to encourage them,” Ambrose-Medebem said.

Also speaking, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse, said the training was to equip youths with vocational and entrepreneurial skills.

He said the project, which began in January 2025, had shown that youths could contribute meaningfully to society.

While commending Lagos, Erhumwunse stressed that collaboration between government institutions, organisations, individuals and communities would greatly help in the task of nation-building.

He noted that continued investment in young people was necessary to reduce poverty.

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“You cannot get it wrong when you empower young people, including women in society,” he said.

The intervention comes amid concerns about youth unemployment and the gap between acquiring vocational skills and securing sustainable livelihoods.

Beyond technical training, access to finance, business networks and markets remains important for young people seeking to establish and grow small businesses.

On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, said the ELY project addressed critical challenges confronting young people through vocational training and entrepreneurship development.

Oke-Osanyintolu, represented by the ministry’s Head of Service, Tunji Akeusola, listed the challenges to include unemployment, inadequate vocational skills and limited access to mentorship.

While congratulating the beneficiaries, she urged them to build networks and make productive use of the opportunities they were exposed to during the training.

Meanwhile, a beneficiary who majored in fashion design, Blessing Nyanga, pledged to offer free training to others.

“Because this gesture came to me at no cost, I am going to train five young people in fashion and design at no cost. I’ll make an impact through my craft,” Nyanga pledged.

Another beneficiary, Joseph Sewanu, promised to maximise the knowledge gained in becoming a change agent.

“I am happy, and I can be financially independent with this skill and help others,” Sewanu, who acquired graphic design skills during the training, said.