Sanwo-Olu empowers 2,000 artisans, tradesmen, says future lies with entrepreneurship

IBRAHIM QUADRI

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday empowered 2,000 artisans and tradesmen and women as a way of creating an enabling environment for business to thrive and ensure participatory democracy in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also gave a parcel of land at Badagry for the artisans to build secretariat said that the future lies with entrepreneurship, adding that was the reason why small businesses need empowerment.

Some of the associations of artisans who benefitted from the empowerment programme are welders and Electrical Repairs, Carpenters & Furniture Makers, Aluminum Fabricators, Tailors & Fashion Designs, House Painting among others.

The tradesmen and artisans had undergone eight weeks training and thereafter given certificates together with working tools at Alausa, Ikeja.

 

 

 

 

 

The programme which was the twelfth in the series was themed: ‘Technology and Innovation: Bedrock of Development of Tradesmen and Artisans.’

 

 

 

In his keynote address, Sanwo-Olu said, ‘’That technology and innovation are the bedrock of economic development across the world is not in doubt. The transition of human societies from the agricultural age to the Industrial Age to the Digital Age has been underlined by waves of innovation that emerge to disrupt an established and accepted order and replace it with a new way of seeing and doing things.

 

 

 

‘’The Internet and digital technologies have now come along to hasten the pace of transition and transformation, and to entrench the power of innovation even further in our societies. Nobody can afford to ignore the rapid pace of change in the 21st century. Anyone who does is bound to pay a very heavy price for this. The lesson for our artisans in Lagos State therefore is that you cannot afford to be left behind. You have to incorporate technological innovation into your practice. You have to stay in tune with emerging trends from around the world, and constantly anticipate the direction in which your various areas of practice

 

might be headed.

 

 

 

‘’Whether you’re a cobbler, plumber, mechanic, fashion-designer, make-up artist, whatever you might be, you must start to think out of the box—not just in the work that you produce but also in how you brand and market that product, and how you position yourselfwithin your sector.

 

 

 

‘’Tradespeople and artisans must be willing to use technology to fully engage consumers. If your customers are heavy users of social media, then you must equally be heavy users of social media. If they are habitual users of a particular payment technology, then you must be able to give them that option in your engagement with them. Failure to do this will rob you of opportunities to service their needs and demands; and when you lose them there will be others waiting in the wings to meet those needs.

 

 

 

‘’With this in mind, I encourage all our tradesmen and artisans to attend regular training sessions and developmental programmes that will help you become more innovative and more capable of

 

building strong and enduring brands.

 

 

 

‘’On our part, our administration will continue to create and maintain an enabling environment for artisans and tradesmen to thrive. We will keep investing in programs that will significantly impact the lives and earnings of artisans and others.

 

‘’We acknowledge that for us to build the dynamic economy of our dreams, we must optimize the value provided by skilled workers, while also training the under-skilled segments of the workforce. In line with this, we conceived the idea of the artisans’ up-skilling program to enhance the competence of our artisans in Lagos State.

 

 

 

‘’The program was developed to equip you with the necessary skills to become 21st century artisans, in alignment with a key component of our T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which is making Lagos a 21st Century

 

Economy. It also speaks to our abiding commitment to ensuring that our Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises grow and flourish.

 

 

 

‘’For the 2000 re-trained tradesmen and artisans who are graduating today, let me remind you that the strategic position of Lagos State offers you limitless opportunities to achieve your dreams: Lagos State contributes a quarter of the national GDP, and is by extension the fifth largest economy in Africa. Your training has therefore been designed to provide you with the right mix of skills needed to service the rapidly growing industrial

 

needs of our State. I am proud of all that you represent: your potential, your drive, and your talent. I can boldly say that the prosperous, industrial Lagos that we envision will be built on the strength of the value that you

 

have to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

‘’Our administration values participatory governance, as we strongly believe that government and the private sector must work together to transform the various sectors of our economy. Let me therefore also express our sincere gratitude to all organizations and individuals from the Organized Private Sector who are collaborating with us to improve the quality and competencies of

 

our artisans.

 

‘’I urge you to take full advantage of the industrial hubs being constructed by our government, through the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, in collaboration with other agencies.

 

 

 

‘’I am pleased to inform you that we presently have at least three hubs at various stages of completion, for example a new leather hub is coming up in Cappa, Oshodi to take advantage of the leather

 

cluster in that area; as well as other artisanal hubs in Yaba and Obalende designed to cater to the growing needs of our informal

 

sector which represents over 60% of our workforce in Lagos State.

 

 

 

‘’Under the Federal Government’s National MSME Clinic Scheme, I am also pleased to let you know that we currently have a full-scaleshared facility fashion designing hub in Opebi, Ikeja which was commissioned in collaboration with the Federal Government on the 18th of September 2020; and which has the capacity to serve more

 

than 300 fashion designers a day. These industrial hubs are being provided to nurture start-ups and

 

small businesses; reduce the cost of doing business; provide credit schemes for MSMEs; extend government patronage to artisans; and increase access to market, including through virtual/digital

 

means,’’ the Governor stated.

 

 

 

In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation & Employment, Mrs Yetunde Arobieke said, ‘’…in line with the theme of this year’s celebration, it is heart-warming for me to note that our graduating tradesmen and artisans having gone through an intensive technologically driven training programme for eight weeks have been tasked to make a success of their businesses through innovation and promote the economic development of the state.

 

 

 

‘’The informal sector is the engine that drives the economic development, it therefore becomes imperative for Lagos artisans to work towards the realization of a common purpose which is creating a 21st economy artisans for sustainable economic growth with a view to making and sustaining Lagos as a 21st century economy,’’ she said.