Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said the state is preparing its youth to take advantage of new opportunities through education and skills.
Addressing the On Boarding Ceremony of participants of the year 2024 Lagos State Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP), the governor reiterated that empowering more youths helps the economy develop more.
The governor, who spoke through the Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat said, the scope of skill development was continuously increasing across the state.
According to him, as labour dynamics across the world change for workers and employers alike, he continued that the government was developing a new worker-centric, forward looking, and sustainable economy that will position youths for success today and tomorrow.
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For this reason, he indicated that the government was reviewing the GIPP, an initiative aimed at mitigating youth unemployment and bridging the gap between academic learning and practical workplace experiences to ensure that new possibilities are being created for the youths as Lagos ‘s economy is expanding.
He said: “This programme which was birthed in the year 2017/2018 was designed to tackle the pressing issue of unemployment in the state. So far, it has recorded a very huge success .Today’s onboarding is the third phase, while a total number of 4000 graduates have so far benefited from the programme. The programme aims to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical industry experience, providing you with the tools necessary to succeed in your chosen career.”
According to him, out of 7,170 which applied for the programme, 2500 candidates were chosen after a rigorous selection process.
Based on the performance of the interns and collaboration of stakeholders, he assured that the number could be expanded to 4000 participants to accommodate more people.
He urged the participants to seize the opportunity to become more employable by demonstrating to their employers that they have skills to contribute to the organisation’s success.
In his welcome address, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Mr. Akinyemi Ajigbotafe highlighted the pressing challenges of unemployment, underemployment, and economic inequality in the state, noting that the GIPP is a comprehensive initiative crafted by the Governor Sanwo-Olu.
According to him, the selection programme involved a Computer-Based Test (CBT) for post-NYSC graduates who desire to partake in GIPP.
Ajigbotafe reiterated that 3000 post-NYSC Graduates selected through the CBT Assessment, participated in a three-week Intensive Employability Training. During the training, he said the participants were offered N30,000 stipend. He explained that GIPP is a paid internship that offers post-NYSC graduates the chance to start a career while developing important behavioural competencies, emotional intelligence, and soft skills. According to him, the candidates participating in the three-month Internships will receive a monthly stipend of N60,000 from the Lagos State Government.
He urged the graduates to make the best use of the opportunity to gather enough experience that would give them an edge in securing paid employment.
The Director-General/Chief Executive at Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale-Smart Oyerinde commended the Lagos state government for making such massive investment in youth development.
He assured the government of the association’s support to boost the sustainability of the programme