Lagos restates commitment to youth, women empowerment

Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Cecilia Bolaji Dada, has said the government remains committed to the empowerment of youths and women.

Dada said this at a one-day workshop organised by the Women Development Centre at Agege.

“It is evident that if more women and youth are empowered in the informal sector, they will not only become invulnerable, they will also contribute greatly towards the economic growth of the country,” Dada said.

Dada, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Oluyemi Kalesanwo, said that the theme of the workshop, ‘Feminization of Skills Acquisition and Human Capability Development among Unemployed Women and Youth in Lagos in Covid-19 Era’, is quite apt, considering the role of women and youth as home and nation builders.

The Commissioner said there is a paradigm shift from the trend of men dominating the career profession as more women are proficient and distinctive in the formal, informal sectors and politics.

Dada further disclosed that WAPA has graduated over 10,000 trainees from the government-owned skills acquisition centres in the last two years and rendered livelihood support of N20, 000 each to over 1,450 women in 2020, while another 1,500 women benefited from the same gesture during this year’s International Widows’ Day.

Dada appealed to individuals, members of the private sector and non-governmental organizations to contribute their quota to the noble cause geared towards economic independence for women and youths.

The Director, Women Development Centre, Agege, Deola Adepoju, stated that the Sanwo-Olu administration is committed to empowering citizens towards achieving the United Nations 17 Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs).

She enjoined the participants to use the skills acquired from the workshops and empower others in their environments.