By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has signed a partnership with the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to train 50,000 Nigerians in various career pathways in paid jobs and self employment.
The scheme comes two months after the state government enlisted Jobberman to create 14 million jobs and gave N940 million grant to Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to keep them afloat post pandemic.
FCDO confirmed in a statement that a document formalising a partnership between the Lagos State government and the UK for the execution of the programme has been signed by both parties, per reporting by The PUNCH.
‘Skills for Prosperity Nigeria’ would provide technical support and capacity building interventions to improve, institutionalise, and promote a national apprenticeship and training system under the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), FCDO explained.
“We are excited about this partnership as it aligns with the mandate of the agency to upskill at least 50,000 residents in Lagos,” LSETF Executive Secretary Teju Abisoye said at the signing ceremony.
“With this programme, we are optimistic that we are in the right direction towards achieving and surpassing this objective.”
British Deputy High Commissioner Ben Llewellyn-Jones added that “we are elated that this programme aligns with the agenda of the current administration and will help produce disciplined, positive and instructive youths in Lagos State through the programmes’ detailed and well-structured engagement processes.”
Sybil Ferris, Skills for Prosperity Programme acting Team Lead, explained that “Skills for Prosperity is a United Kingdom funded programme implemented across nine African countries including Nigeria.
“This programme allows us to implement and institutionalise a formal apprenticeship and training system that supports enterprise development and provides youth with decent jobs.
“Through robust sector skills assessment, three key sectors in high demand have been identified as agriculture, information communications technology [ICT], and the creative industry, hence our focus will be targeted at upskilling youths in these sectors and placing them in gainful employment.”
Tthe programme will involve the government, the private sector, and public and private training providers to increase access, improve quality and relevance of skills, according to FCDO.
It will also ease school-to-work transition as a new pathway to a career-oriented education and training for all categories of youths especially women and persons with disabilities.
Lagos enlists Jobberman to create 14m jobs
In August, Lagos partnership with Jobberman to create 14 million jobs as anticipated in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Jobberman is an online recruitment and job search platform in Lagos that claims on its website to connect qualified professionals to their dream jobs, and employers to the best talent to help grow their businesses.
It claims that more than two million people each year trust it to “help them win at work, from professional advancement, and skills-building to finding a job.”
It also claims to interact with over 2,650,000 users and places over 7,500 talents in various roles monthly, with a seeker audience of over 606,000 candidates.
The 55-member states of the Africa Union (AU) established the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2018 to create a single continentwide market for goods and services and to promote the movement of people and capital.
AfCFTA encourages investment in basic education and skills development as well as education reform to facilitate unimpeded participation of young people in the socioeconomic space.
The AU has launched “One Million by 2021 Initiative” to create one million new opportunities for young Africans in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and engagement across the continent and in the diaspora.
Lagos Wealth Creation and Employment Commissioner Yetunde Arobieke disclosed at a workshop to train and upskill youths in job-ready skills that one of the goals is to enhance youths’ competitiveness through jobs.
She said the government is ensuring that jobs are created for the youth, who are its biggest resources, that AfCFTA would create huge job opportunities, and Lagos is embarking on a talent hunt to empower youths, per reporting by The Nation.
Arobieke explained that the partnership with Jobberman provides free soft skills training for youths, focused on equipping graduates with employability skills, how to be more marketable, and to get and keep jobs.
Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment Permanent Secretary Kafayat Ajenifuja reiterated that the forum offers the chance for participants to develop their professional skills and increase their employability.
Jobberman Senior Youth Engagement Associate Prince Ihemegbulam said the partnership aligns with the efforts of Jobberman x Mastercard foundations to train five million young Nigerians and place three million in work over the next five years.
He said the partnership gels with Jobberman’s mission to upskill and connect young people to their dream jobs and help employers get the best talent to help grow their businesses.
Lagos gives N940m grant to save 1,835 MSMEs
Lagos makes over N40 billion monthly in internally generated revenue (IGR) through tax on income, businesses, goods, and services.
It targets N60 monthly IGR, and to boost businesses, create more jobs, and expand the tax base, Arobieke announced in May that about N940 million had been disbursed to individuals and businesses under the MSME Recovery Fund.
The MSME Fund supports businesses whose properties and assets were vandalised in the #EndSARS protest in October 2020.
Arobieke said 1,835 MSME owners were supported with grants ranging from N50,000 to N5 million to rebuild their businesses and 10,005 direct jobs and 40,029 indirect jobs were saved, according to The Nation.
LSETF supports over 14,646 small businesses and has created more than 123,720 jobs, she added.
Under the LSEFT loan scheme, businesses were given sums ranging from N250,000, N500,000 to N5 million, which Arobieke said has created 51,142 tax new payers.
She reiterated the government’s determination to accelerate the founding of startups and small businesses to boost growth by providing incentives in industrial hubs.