The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that the bedrock of economic development are technology and innovation.
He said this during an empowerment programme in the state on Tuesday, where about 2,000 artisans were provided with technology-enabled tools to ease processes in their various vocations.
The programme was created by the state’s Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, and ran for eight weeks, followed by nominations of graduates from the programme into the Lagos State Council of Tradesmen and Artisans’ (LASCOTA) skill development workshop.
Sanwo-Olu noted the importance of the state government to work with the private sector to “transform” the economy of Lagos State.
He said, “Our administration places a premium on participatory governance, just as we strongly believe government and private sector must work together to transform the state’s economy.
READ ALSO: ICT Sector Records 17.9 percent Contribution To Nigeria’s GDP in Q2 2021 – FG
“It is not in doubt that technology and innovation are the bedrock of economic development. The transition 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 order and replace it with a new way of doing things.
“As a forward-looking government, we cannot afford to ignore the rapid pace of change in the 21st century. Lagos’ artisans cannot afford to be left behind. It is our abiding commitment to ensuring that our Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) grow and flourish.
“This is why we are equipping our artisans with contemporary skills and incorporating technological innovation into their practice to stay in tune with emerging trends from around the world.
“For the 2000 re-trained tradesmen and artisans who are graduating today, let me remind you that the strategic position of Lagos offers you limitless opportunities to achieve your dreams, as the 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.”
