CAPACITY
BUILDING AND SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAMME FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES IN (LAGOS)
NIGERIA
Introduction
Studies have shown that skill acquisition is the most
critical factor in the utilization of entrepreneurship opportunity for
self-employment. Nigeria is ascribed to be the 7th most populous country in the
world, the largest population in Africa, estimated to have about 223.8 million
individuals as at December, 2023 according to Statista report 2024 while the
population of Lagos State is estimated to be 15,946,000 representing a growth
rate of about 3.63% while experts forecast that this population could reach 30
million by 2035. These scenarios call for a structured plan that lend
voice for increased employment across the growing population.
Nigeria like other
part of the world is faced with the challenges of development and
unemployment. Unemployment in Nigeria is
one of the most critical problems
the country is currently facing, it has the third-largest youth population,
after India and China. Nigeria is said to have a grave unemployment problem
rated at 33.3 per cent, about 23 million people are unemployed nationwide. This
bites harder in Lagos State, Nigeria’s commercial capital city that has been is
ranked as the worst state in terms of unemployment rate having 1.85 million
people without jobs in 2020. Findings from the National Bureau of Statistics
(NBS) highlight a 4.1 percent unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2023, this
has further increased to 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, and the
number has since increase over time.
A number of factors have been identified as causes of
unemployment in Nigeria. They include Economic downturn, overpopulation,
inflation, neglect of agricultural sector, lack of job opportunities, and lack
of working skills. Empowering Nigerians to work for themselves is one of the
major solutions to bringing down the ongoing trend of unemployment. Hence this
proposal arose to offer capacity building and skill acquisition. Underprivileged communities adversely suffer
the devastating effect of unemployment. Therefore, emphasis are placed on the
Underprivileged communities in Lagos State.
The June, 2024 Edition
Over 1000 persons across three communities in Lagos received
various skill set from the maiden ITAM Skill Acquisition Program solely powered
by Access Bank. The event held in the month of June, focused on three under
privileged communities, Bariga, Makoko and Ilaje Otumara village. The programme
covered production and packaging of various kinds of soaps,
bleach-stain-remover and insecticides with safety measures and measurements
that must be carried out. The Maiden Skill acquisition programme came with a crux
of benefits associated with self-employment, job creation and the multiplier
effect that translates into wealth creation. Samples of the items produced were
shared to all the participants to further aid their learning, packaging and
marketing by the time they start their independent production. A prior
understanding was reached with the Baales of the chosen communities who also
encouraged their subject to participate and came-in-turn to bless the day of
event, every participants and stakeholders.
Mr. Jeffrey Ayansi, a media aide to Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye,
Baale of Ilaje Otumara community in appraisal reiterated the benefits of the
programme and prayed for its continuity. Babatunde Oba, a youth leader of
Makoko Community in a remark said, “We felt like having it once more”.
In a closing remark, the organizer thanked the Sponsor for
boosting the programme, and called for corporate adoption of the programme
while taking the social- cultural and economic benefits thereof; that
partnering with programmes like this, is humane, and sure contribution in
actualizing the 2030 sustainable development goals as well as the Africa Agenda
2063.
Taibat Lawanson of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, at the 21st inaugural lecture of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) as at June, 2023, revealed that Lagos has over 157 slum communities deserving attention
2nd Edition,
December, 2024
This program shall pick three (3) of the Underprivileged
communities. The identified communities are:
1. Orile Community 2. Apapa-Ajegunle Community 3. Makoko Waterside Community
Orile Community (Friday
6th December, 2024)
Orile Iganmu
community, a huge sprawling slum crisscrossed by murky canals and littered with
multifamily slum homes and rubbish everywhere. Orile-Iganmu is in Sari-Iganmu
Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. Orile, as the community is
popularly called, is located between Iganmu and Mile Two, just off the
expressway. Most roads are hardly passable. Some of the buildings are
uncompleted and deserted while others are overcrowded. The narrow paths linking
the streets and houses are dotted with stagnant water. The environment is
generally an eyesore. Communicating with residents of this community requires
that you know how to manoeuvre between Pidgin English and Yoruba. To
effortlessly traverse the terrain, simple and smart dressing is the rule.
Makoko Community (Tuesday 10th December,
2024)
Makoko is called
“The Venice of Slums” as most of the over 300,000 residents live on stilted
homes atop a fetid lagoon, carrying goods via canoe including fresh water. The
primary language for communication in Makoko is called ‘Egun,’ which is a blend
of French and other local languages. Other languages spoken in the community
include Yoruba, French, and English.
Apapa- Ajegunle Community
(Wednesday 11th
December, 2024)
Ajegunle , also
known as ‘AJ City,’ is one of the high-density slums in Lagos. It has a
population of over 500,000 residents from different ethnic groups across
Africa. However, the community lacks basic amenities such as housing, potable
water, good medical facilities, good roads, and a drainage system, making life
difficult for its residents. According to research, Ajegunle has a population
density of 750,000 the highest of all slums in Lagos, the Community is under
the purview of Ajeromi Local Government Area.
Our Concept on Capacity and Skill Acquisition
It is the process of developing new skills, strengthening
existing skills, abilities and resources that a community need to adapt to, in
order to survive and thrive in a challenging situation, creating ability to be trained
on a particular task or function to become expert in it, and in-turn transform
others for self-sustenance, employment and wealth creation.
Major Objectives
1.
Introduction of skills
acquisition scheme across the three selected communities
2.
To impact participants
with the appropriate attitude and skills that can make them become self-employed
and as well transforming them into wealth creators and provision of employment
for other members of the community.
3.
To contribute
towards economic growth, well-being and quality of life of the people.
4.
To create
productive engagement that significantly reduce or if not eliminate prevalent
crime across the selected communities for this project.
5.
To make
significant contribution in reducing hunger and providing decent employment
towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 1, 2, 8 and 17.
Capacity and
Skill Acquisition - Areas of Concentration
·
Soap - Liquid
Soaps (Dish Wash)
·
Soap - Bar
Soaps
·
Bleach
- (Stain remover)
·
Insecticide - Insects Killer
·
Air
freshener - To remove unwanted odour
Strategy for
Implementation
·
Carry out sensitization
/publicity campaign of the project across the three communities
·
Liaise with the
office of Community Baale / Community leader
·
Liaise with
churches / mosque for mobilization of participants
·
Engage one month duration
of publicity of the program to encourage mass participation
·
Engage our
operational team comprising Media, Security, Trainers and Logistics
·
Engage the 3 identified
communities at weekly basis one after the other
·
Spend a maximum
of 1 day training per community, with one day interval to the other
·
Total number of
participants being targeted across the three community is 1,000, therefore a
maximum number of 340 is expected from each community per time.
·
Share sample of
the Liquid Soap and Bar soap to all
participants
·
Share
complimentary gifts to all participants and goodwill with the community leaders
· Exclude genders barriers for participants, open to ages between age 18 to age 50 male and female.
Expected Outcome
·
Total numbers of
1,000 participants including male and female are expected
·
Qualitative and
Quantitative Testimony of participant and spectators
·
Outstanding Media
report of the programme across selected media/publicity organizations
Our Contact :
Office:
Institute of Trade
Association Management Ltd/Gte
2a, Ogunnusi Road,
Riggs Plaza, Omole Bus stop, Omole Phase
Omole, Ojodu, Ikeja,
Lagos.
Tel: 0915
540 8001
Website: https://www.itamn.org
Email: infous@itamn.org
BANK DETAILS:
Name of
Organization: Institute of Trade
Association Management Ltd/Gte
Name of Bank: Access Bank Plc
Account Number: 1870284639
TIN: 31525193-0001