Ekiti First Lady Understudies Lagos Skills Centres

Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi recently visited some Lagos State Skills and Acquisition Centres and Homes recently to understudy their operations and replicate same in Ekiti.

Fayemi and her contingent, including the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Funke Owoseni and top government functionaries were conducted round the various facilities by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Riskat Akiyode.

Among places visited were Homes for Victims of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking at Ayobo-Ipaja; Clinic and Homes for Physically Challenged Children, Ketu, and the skill acquisition centres at Egan, Mushin and Isheri.

Fayemi who was fascinated with what she saw at the various centres lauded the efforts of the Lagos State government, adding that establishing the centres has in no small measure assisted in poverty alleviation and economic development of the people.

“We do have some skill acquisition centres in the state, but this is a project that I will like to revive and that is the Igede Women Centre. That place used to be a striving one, a place where women could go and learn all kinds of things.

“Today, that place is a shadow of what it used to be so what I will like to do in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs is for us to revive those skill acquisition programmes of the centre,” she said.

“We don’t need to run many programmes but whatever we are able to come up with will be done adequately and effectively so that those who come there to acquire the skills can go back to their community to do the best they can for their people.”

“The efforts of the Lagos State government should be applauded, and not only should it be applauded, leaders from all over the country who are worried about how they can meet the needs of the marginalized in their places should come and learn from here,” she added.

At the Home for Domestic Violence, the coordinator of the home, Mrs Dolapo Osibanjo, informed about plans to enlist women into martial arts as a way of defending themselves against rapists and domestic violence.

She said the home is run based on the annual subvention from the government as well as the good will of individuals and non-government organisations.

“While they are here we put them through lessons, and we also have plans to establish a vocational centre so that the residents can learn and acquire skills that would engage them when they are reintegrated back to the society,” she stated.