By Oluwatope Lawanson
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to transforming local crafts into globally competitive products through structured training, market access and export readiness.
The state’s Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, said this on Friday at the graduation ceremony of Adire (Tie & Dye) participants held at the Adire & Kampala International Market, Agbado, Lagos.
The event was organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, in collaboration with Lagos State Tie & Dye Association (LASOTA), Mosan Okunola and Agbado Oke-Odo local council development areas.
The event had the theme: “Celebrating Creativity, Empowerment & Skill Excellence”.
The commissioner was represented at the event by Mr Bola Ajayi, the Chief Commercial Officer.
Ajigbotafe listed the critical skills required for success as packaging, branding, entrepreneurship, bookkeeping and marketing.
According to him, the Lagos State Government will explore that opportunity and take it to the next level.
The commissioner called for stronger collaboration between local councils and the state government to scale up skills acquisition programmes across the state.
He commended the Chairman, Mosan Okunola LCDA, Mrs Aduuni Akindele, for prioritising vocational training.
“I was really impressed when the chairman said in her local government, skills acquisition is a major pillar and that presently 129 people are undergoing various forms of skills acquisition in their centre.
“As a government, we believe in management and advanced training on tie-and-dye and to take it to an exportable level.”
Ajigbotafe urged stakeholders to promote the craft by wearing Adire at public functions.
He congratulated the graduates, noting that the event marked the beginning, not the end, of their journey in the trade.
Earlier, Akindele, Chairman, Mosan Okunola LCDA, said the council’s skills acquisition programme was designed to make residents economically stable and self-reliant rather than depend on handouts.
According to her, the initiative was part of my campaign promise to empower people with sustainable livelihoods.
“The skill acquisition programme is a way of complementing their efforts, so that our people can be economically stable and self-reliant, and they can be able to put food on their table,” she said.
The chairman urged them to give back to the society and assured them of continuous monitoring and support through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.
“I encourage all the participants to make sure they also give back to society. Now that we are training them, we will make sure we monitor them, follow them up, so that they don’t just wait on us.,” she said.
Also, the Chairman, Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Mr Abiodun Ejigbadero, reaffirmed his commitment to empowering members of his community.
The council boss urged the people to be hardworking and committed in their hand works.
“We want the people to thrive in whatever they do hence the empowerment programme and skill acquisition training,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr AbdulRasheed Temitope, the LASOTA President, said the body had trained and graduated 450 persons in tie-and-dye, make-up, disinfectants, decorations and other vocational skills in three months of intensive training.
Temitope said 250 of the graduands specialised in tie-and-dye, 50 in make-up, and 170 in other skills.
He commended the government’s support, through the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund to assist the graduands with low-interest loans to start their businesses.
He urged the graduands to obey the law, focus on their businesses and produce quality works .
A graduand, Miss Omotayo Amao, thanked the Mosan Okunola Chairman for the opportunity to learn a skill at no cost.
She urged her fellow graduands to be focused, hardworking and committed in whatever they set to do.
Another graduand, Mr Olelakan Dada, a visually impaired, said the opportunity to learn how to make batik and adire would make him to be focused and self reliant.
He said: “I believe with this skill, l will be able to help myself economically and l hope to be an entrepreneur.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that work tools and certificates were presented to the participants.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
