Lagos moves to reposition own higher institutions

State begins capacity training for final year students

The Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to, through 21st century initiatives, reposition and take state-owned tertiary institutions to greater heights.

Special adviser to state governor on education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, who made the government’s position known, said this would be achieved through the conscientious provision of enabling environment, infrastructure and partnerships that would help students thrive in their chosen fields and endeavours.

Speaking recently at the inauguration of a project tagged, “Ready.Set.Work,” – an entrepreneurship and employability initiative designed for final year students of Lagos State University (LASU), and Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Bank-Olemoh said, the project aims to add value and dignity to higher education in the state.

He added that the recent partnership with the Fortune 500 technology giant, Google, to train students of LASU, LASPOTECH, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education and Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education in digital skills was a good demonstration of government’s commitment.

“We are committed to ensuring that all tertiary institutions in the state are the best in the country. As a government, our focus is on creating enabling environment and bringing innovations that would help our students to thrive and become successful in life,”the governor’s aide stated.

He explained that the alarming rate of unemployment among Nigerian youths prompted the government to initiate the project as an intervention programme, which would, among others things, expose final year students to the world of work and equip them with critical skills and expertise necessary to either become employable or employers of labour.

Bank-Olemoh said government intends to bring in big entrepreneurs from multinational companies to train, inspire and put the students on the right track of actualising their life goals.

“Looking at the current unemployment statistics, it is clear that an intervention is required to ensure our students are positioned to succeed in the competitive, global labour market. In line with the objectives of the LASG, the Ready.Set.Work programme will equip students in our tertiary institutions with the skills they need to contribute to the world of work as viable candidates for employment and importantly as job creators,” he stated

The special adviser continued, “The programme is also designed to eliminate the catchphrase that Nigerian graduates are not employable. Students have been advised to register online at www.readysetwork.com.ng. The programme will run for 13 weeks and the best 500 students (300 for LASU and 200 for LASPOTECH), will get internship placement in high-ranking corporate organisations or win seed funding for successful pitches of their business plans.”