Enterprise Day critical to Lagos State economic development, says Gasper

THE yearly Lagos Enterprise Day is critical to the social-economic development of the state, Executive Secretary of Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board, Olawumi Gasper has said.

Speaking at the third annual enterprise day, with special focus on “Stimulating entrepreneurial mind-set and evoking entrepreneurial spirit’’ coupled with the launching of young Entrepreneurs’ Club (YEC) in technical colleges, Gasper emphasized need to engaged the youths.

Gasper explained that the Enterprise Day is organised yearly in order to provide motivations and guidance to the aspiring young business leaders, to enable them fulfill l their desires of owning their individual business and being employer of labour.

He said the initiative is also intended to “to promote networking of successful entrepreneurs with young aspiring entrepreneurs from the technical colleges in a one day open interactive forum while offering support for the promotion of enterprise education in the state’s technical and vocational education system.”

He added; ‘’Huge unemployment solution is to engage the young minds early enough in youths entrepreneurship, and making them self-reliant, competent, skillful young boys and girls in order to help increase employment opportunities and providing alternative routes for creating jobs for youths in Lagos State’’.

He sad Youths unemployment of about 60 per cent can only be reduced through technical skills development and creating a platform that will be encouraging for young growing business owners in order to motivate them .

Gasper commended the effort of Private sectors and Lagos State Government in repositioning training workshops and rooms, provision of modern equipment, upgrading of facilities, enriching the curricula in use, facilitating the training of instructors and teachers.

He urged the organised private sector to partner with Corporate Lagos to sustain support for youths entrepreneurs and youth-led business “as this is the best route towards technical skills development, wealth creation and youth employment”.

According to him, the strength of the Lagos State administration “is in innovative thinking on the part of those managing the affairs of the state”, adding that “this initiative, the first in the nation, is an addition to the administration of Akinwunmi Ambode.”