By Catherine Egwuom
Lagos State Government says no fewer than 35,000 residents have graduated from its tuition-free skills acquisition centres across the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs Cecilia Dada Bolaji, disclosed this at the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) programme organised by the ministry on Tuesday in Ikeja, the state capital.
Bolaji, who said the beneficiaries acquired the skills between January and July, added that 18,990 beneficiaries received business start-up equipment through MESI.
According to her, over 1,100 residents acquired digital skills, while 4,040 vulnerable families benefited from the Ounjẹ Lọ Rẹ Awo (Food and Nutrition Programme) within the period under review.
Bolaji described empowerment as creating opportunities, restoring dignity, nurturing aspirations and promoting sustainable prosperity, rather than merely distributing tools.
She said the MESI programme demonstrated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to translating promises into opportunities for economic self-reliance and prosperity.
The commissioner said the ministry promoted gender equality, social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic empowerment through strategic policies, partnerships and innovative interventions.
She said MESI complemented the tuition-free skills acquisition centres by providing start-up equipment that transformed vocational training into sustainable livelihoods.
“As of 2026, over 35,101 residents have graduated from our tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while 18,990 beneficiaries have received business start-up equipment through MESI.
“Over 1,100 residents acquired digital skills, while 4,040 vulnerable families benefited from the Ounjẹ Lọ Rẹ Awo (Food and Nutrition Programme).
“The Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme impacted 18,241 residents, while over 5,500 widows received business grants,” she said.
According to her, the ministry promoted menstrual hygiene through the annual distribution of sanitary towels and toiletries to schoolgirls and market women.
Bolaji said intervention programmes reached grassroots and riverine communities through skills acquisition, agricultural support, food assistance and other social welfare initiatives.
She said the ministry’s Avia Farm trained farmers in cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.
The commissioner said the ministry supported survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through counselling, shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.
She said partnerships with women-focused non-governmental organisations expanded advocacy, community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment across Lagos State.
She said beneficiaries received sewing and stoning machines, cameras, tile cutters, pepper grinders, deep freezers, popcorn machines and vulcanising machines.
Bolaji said beneficiaries also received pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking pans, weighing scales, hairdressing and barbing kits, gas burners and cooking pots.
She said agricultural equipment, including cassava graters, pressers, fryers and dehydrators, as well as food items comprising rice, beans, garri and semovita, were also distributed.
She said the equipment would generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute to Lagos State’s economic growth.
The commissioner noted that the programme aligned with the THEMES+ Agenda by promoting social inclusion, economic development and good governance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that THEMES stands for Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st-Century Economy, Entertainment and Tourism, and Security and Governance.
Bolaji reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to expanding entrepreneurship, skills development, financial independence and social protection across Lagos State.
She urged beneficiaries to maximise the equipment, build thriving businesses, create jobs, support their families and become ambassadors of the Lagos State Government.
Earlier, the wife of Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Dr Claudiana Sanwo-Olu, commended Bolaji and her ministry for empowering residents through impactful programmes.
Sanwo-Olu praised the commissioner for consistently delivering the dividends of democracy through empowerment initiatives.
She urged beneficiaries to transfer the knowledge and skills acquired through the programme to others in their communities.
“As you benefit from this initiative, we hope that you will be a blessing to other people in your community. Whatever you have learned, you should also teach others.
“The more the ministry trains people, the more they move out of the poverty bracket,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa