Lagos trains 3,000 youths, disburses N1.17B in business loans
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Lagos State Government has trained 3,006 unemployed youths over the past two years through various capacity-building and job-readiness programmes.
Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, revealed this on Thursday during the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing at Alausa, Ikeja, held to commemorate the second anniversary of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term.
Ajigbotafe stated that the Ministry collaborated with both local and international academies to equip over 2,000 graduates with employability skills. Many of the trainees have since secured full-time jobs following internship placements.
He also announced the planned onboarding of an additional 5,500 residents under the Nigeria CARES (NG-CARES) programme, with each participant to receive a monthly stipend of N20,000. The initiative supports the THEMES Plus agenda, which focuses on social inclusion, gender equality, youth empowerment, and economic resilience.
To boost Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Commissioner disclosed that N1.17 billion was disbursed through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) in the past year. This funding enabled entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, creating 43,830 direct and indirect jobs, and preserving 34,542 existing ones.
He added that 25,954 residents across Lagos’ 20 local government areas benefited from the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Cash Transfer programme, strengthening the safety net for vulnerable citizens.
