Lagos targets 10,000 residents for skills training
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration, through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), is set to train 10,000 residents in industry-relevant skills across technology, construction, fashion, health and business sectors as part of efforts to deepen human capital development.
Sanwo-Olu made this known at the Omniverse Africa Summit 3.0, organised by Omniverse Africa in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), with the theme, “Connected Future: Synergy for Impact,” held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Iganmu, Lagos, on Tuesday.
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*Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende; Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat; Omniverse Africa Co-Convener, Charles Emembolu; Executive Secretary, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Feyisayo Alayande and Director of Programmes and Coordination, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Oyindamola Egbeyemi at the Omniverse Africa Summit 3.0, organised by Omniverse Africa and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Iganmu, Lagos, on Tuesday.
Etim Ekpimah
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration, through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), is set to train 10,000 residents in industry-relevant skills across technology, construction, fashion, health and business sectors as part of efforts to deepen human capital development.
Sanwo-Olu made this known at the Omniverse Africa Summit 3.0, organised by Omniverse Africa in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), with the theme, “Connected Future: Synergy for Impact,” held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (National Theatre), Iganmu, Lagos, on Tuesday.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, the governor said the state government was also investing heavily in broadband infrastructure, digitising public services, establishing innovation clusters and creating policies that support entrepreneurship at scale.
According to him, the initiatives align with the administration’s THEMES+ Development Agenda and aim to position Lagos as a leading innovation hub on the continent.
“Our administration has pursued these efforts deliberately under the THEMES+ Development Agenda. We are investing in broadband access, digitising government services, establishing innovation clusters, and building the policy environment that makes entrepreneurship viable at scale. We are not simply aspiring to be Africa’s technology hub; we are building the conditions that make that designation earned,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu described the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund as a critical vehicle for achieving the state’s employment and entrepreneurship goals, noting that it was established to reduce unemployment through access to finance and skills development opportunities.
Highlighting the government’s interventions, the governor disclosed that in 2025 alone, the LSETF disbursed ₦1.91 billion in affordable loans to more than 4,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), while grants worth over ₦23 million were provided to 65 businesses to strengthen expansion and resilience.
He added that the Fund’s graduate internship programme facilitated paid employment opportunities for 2,500 young people, with monthly stipends provided to ease their transition into the labour market.
Sanwo-Olu further revealed that 1,050 persons with disabilities had benefited from entrepreneurship training and start-up support, stressing that inclusion remains central to the state’s economic development agenda.
“And through a renewed partnership with the United States African Development Foundation, LSETF is on course to train 10,000 Lagosians in industry-relevant skills across technology, construction, fashion, health and business. These figures matter because they represent a model: when government intervenes deliberately, transparently and with genuine accountability to outcomes, it changes lives at scale,” he said.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s digital and creative economy, describing the country’s youthful population as both a major asset and a pressing economic challenge.
“With a large population under the age of 40, Nigeria possesses remarkable vitality, innovation and resourcefulness. However, the growing number of young people entering the labour market annually requires urgent and sustainable job creation strategies,” he said.
Mignot noted that while traditional sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and extractive industries remain important, the rapidly expanding digital and creative economy offers significant opportunities for growth and employment.
Also speaking, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, stressed the country’s strategic position in shaping Africa’s connected and technology-driven future, noting that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and green innovation are transforming economies and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship and sustainable growth.
She said that challenges such as youth unemployment, climate change, economic resilience, and inclusive access to technology require stronger collaboration and partnerships across sectors.
In his welcome address, Omniverse Africa Co-Convener, Charles Emembolu, said the summit reflects a shared belief that Africa’s future will be determined by the strength of its human capital rather than isolated efforts.
He noted that despite Africa’s abundance of talent, creativity and ambition, access to capital, markets, networks and opportunities remains a major challenge.
“Initiatives such as Omniverse Africa exist to bridge this gap by connecting people and institutions driving Africa’s transformation. The future cannot be built by governments, institutions or private actors working independently, but through deliberate collaboration among stakeholders,” he said.
