Babatunde Ogundiran is Programme Coordinator, Oshodi-Isolo Vocational Education and Training Institute, a centre that provides skills acquisition for Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs. In this interview with Ibrahim Adam, the graduate of University of Agriculture (UNAAB) and University of Lagos speaks on the prospects and challenges of running SMEs. Excerpts:
When was the centre established?
The centre was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the year 2003 as an intervention project to assist and employ youths and women. Oshodi was selected because of its central and strategic location in the nation’s commercial nerve centre amongst the Local Governments in the state.
What is the focus of the centre and to what extent have you been able to achieve it sets objectives?
Oshodi-Isolo Vocational Education and Training Institute is an initiative of the UNDP in Partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria towards achieving one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)1 and 2 which is no poverty and zero hunger respectively. The Institute has been creating prosperity through empowering people with 21st century survival skills.
The vision of the centre is to reduce unemployment and poverty in Oshodi and its environs through development of skills, building institutional capacity and investing in technical/vocational training infrastructure.
This we achieve by redefining and revolutionising vocational education by offering updated, modern and excellent training by allowing our students the opportunity to a solid, hands-on learning experience in and out of the classroom.
To a great extent the centre has been living up to expectations. From inception till date, the centre has trained well over 12, 000 students in various vocations ranging from tailoring, hairdressing, cosmetology, bead-making, computer / ICT, catering and hotel management, shoe and bag design to mention a few. Recently, we have also introduced auto mobile diagnostics.
Kindly share some of the important milestones achieved by the centre since its inception till date?
We have been able to make tremendous impact in our community based on the value added vocational courses we have offered.
For instance, in 2018 alone, we were able to empower not less than 2,000 youths on the above vocational courses mentioned above. In the same vein, we empowered 300 youths in 2018 on digital marketing, mobile application and website development. This initiative was in conjunction with Tek4Naija our Technical partner with expertise in ICT.
Do you collaborate with other government agencies and private sector players?
Yes, we do. We have been surviving based on strategic partnerships, alliances and collaborations because vocational education and training is quite expensive.
It is therefore imperative to adopt a multi-stakeholder approach to achieve set objectives. For instance, the centre is in partnership with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). Our students have access to start-up loans from LSETF.
Towards the tail end of their programme, our students attend seminars facilitated by LSETF, taking them through steps and procedures to access these loans.
What are some of the challenges the centre has faced over the years and how did you surmount them?
After the centre was established by UNDP, it was equipped and funded for three years, and then the centre was handed over to the local government.
The challenge majorly has been funding. We need funds to upgrade, buy modern and state of the art equipment. In as much the local government has been able to put certain measures in place for sustainability but the government has got so many things that demands attention.
It is therefore imperative for the centre to be driven by private sector participation if we really want to salvage the future of our youths. Like I said earlier vocational education is too expensive for government to run alone.
Therefore, we need fund to get equipment for our students, pay instructors good salaries and power equipment at centre. Above all, if we can place our students on monthly stipend, it will increase enrollment, we can take good number of students out of the streets and take considerable youths and women out of poverty.
If funding has been the major challenge, how then have you been able to fund activities of the centre mentioned above?
Yes, we have financial challenges but we still get support from the Local Government.
The Administration of Hon Bolaji Muse-Ariyoh has been supportive and helpful. The Executive Chairman helped revamped the building and provided technical support to the center. Nevertheless, we will like to appeal to well-meaning Nigerians, Corporate Socially Responsible Organisations to come to our aid.
For instance, Tek4Naija has been doing a lot in terms of ICT under her Basic Digital Education Program (BDEP), a Human Capital Development Initiative with the aim of helping young Nigerians in secondary and tertiary institutions acquire foundational digital skills, in order to equip them with the necessary skills for the knowledge-based economy.
Asides empowering over 300 youths on ICT, the foundation also donated ICT Equipment worth N2 Million Naira to the centre.
Similarly, we have also partner with Yield Africa, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) that also believes in youth empowerment to run capacity development programmes for the teeming youths of Oshodi.
Aside training do you provide seed capital for those that enrolled at the centre or do you link them with financial institutions where they can easily access loans and other such facilities to enable them take off?
We provide necessary assistance for students in the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSTEF) Scheme. This is mainly because of our strategic partnership with the scheme which I mentioned earlier.
Do the trainees also get mentorship after they graduate from the centre?
There is a mentorship programme in place where our students and graduates are actively engaging experienced professionals from all walks of life. They further get education, training and employment opportunities from our mentorship network.
We offer one to one mentor support on social, emotional and soft skills learning. Over time, our one to one mentor support has increased and promoted self-independence, self-confidence, and also help our students deal with a wide array of social issues impacting on their day to day career and lives.
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