By Emmanuel Daniji

For 1,170 residents of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, the end of their recent training was more than a graduation ceremony. It marked the beginning of a search for how to turn newly acquired skills into income, jobs and more secure livelihoods.

The beneficiaries, drawn from the Ofin and Baiyeku zones, recently completed the Speed Up Lagos skills acquisition programme, receiving training in areas including Artificial Intelligence, tailoring, catering, hairdressing, makeup artistry and gele styling.

The graduates were celebrated at a ceremony in Baiyeku Town, with 520 beneficiaries coming from Ofin Zone and 650 from Baiyeku Zone.

For many of them, the real challenge now begins: moving from training to earning.

Across Lagos, young people and adults continue to look for practical ways to survive in an economy where having a formal qualification does not always translate into a job. Vocational and digital skills can therefore provide another route to self-employment and entrepreneurship.

The Speed Up Lagos programme was designed to give participants practical skills and entrepreneurial knowledge that could help them become more economically independent.

The range of courses offered also reflects the changing nature of work. While traditional skills such as tailoring, catering, hairdressing and makeup remain important sources of income, participants were also introduced to Artificial Intelligence and other contemporary skills.

The programme was supported by community leaders, government officials, youth representatives and other stakeholders in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA.

Speaking at the graduation, Hon. Princess Saidat Adeoba Odeyemi commended the participants for their commitment throughout the training and encouraged them to make productive use of what they had learnt.

She also highlighted the importance of the relationships built among the participants, noting that the network created during the programme could become useful beyond the training itself.

For the graduates, however, the next step will be crucial.

Training alone does not guarantee income. Participants will still need access to capital, equipment, customers and markets if their new skills are to become sustainable businesses.

That challenge has also been recognised in other empowerment initiatives in the council area.

Earlier in September, 13 entrepreneurs in Igbogbo/Baiyeku received loans through a partnership between the council and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), while the council said 500 residents would benefit from free Corporate Affairs Commission registration to help formalise their businesses.

The council has also supported other skills and empowerment programmes. In a separate initiative, more than 450 residents graduated from a three-week skill acquisition programme organised by Council Leader Princess Basirat Banjoko, with 20 beneficiaries receiving cash and startup kits.

These programmes point to a broader question facing communities like Igbogbo and Baiyeku: how to ensure that skills acquired by residents eventually translate into businesses that survive, jobs that are created and families whose incomes improve.

For the 1,170 graduates of the Speed Up Lagos programme, the certificates may therefore be only the first step.

The bigger test will be what happens after the applause — whether the tailor gets enough customers to expand, whether the caterer can buy the equipment needed to take bigger orders, whether the hairstylist can open a shop, and whether those trained in digital skills can turn their knowledge into actual opportunities.

That is where the true value of the programme will ultimately be measured.