A total number of 3,748 Lagos youths have benefitted from creative skill training carried out by the Lagos State Government in the last one year.
The state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka made this known during the ongoing ministerial press briefing to mark the first year of the second term in office of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Alausa, Ikeja.
She said the training was done in partnership with film industries such as Del-York Film Academy, GIDI Creative Academy, Ebony Life Creative Academy and African Film Academy.
The Commissioner said, “The state government is currently in partnership with four different creative academies to enhance the capacities of young creative practitioners in Lagos State.
“As of today, 3,748 Lagos youths have benefitted from the training. The academies in partnership with the state government for this training programme are Del-York Film Academy, GIDI Creative Academy, Ebony Life Creative Academy and African Film Academy.
This gesture by the government is informed by the need to bridge identified skill-gaps in the creative sector and to position residents of the state who are in the creative field to compete globally with their contemporaries when it comes to film production.
“The testimonials of the beneficiaries are very encouraging. It should be stressed that this training/capacity building which ordinarily would have cost the beneficiaries several millions of naira is at no cost to the participants.
“I am pleased to announce that Mr Governor has further approved training of over 5,000 young men and women to run for the next three years.”
She also disclosed that since the ministry is in charge of managing all museums and monuments erected by the state government, it had restored and re-erected a bronze statue of late MKO Abisola at Opebi Sheraton Junction, repaired the damaged Artwork, (the sekere dancing drum) at Old Toll Gate, Lagos.
She noted, “Apart from the above, the ministry is expected to deliver the on-going construction of Alhaji Lateef Jakande’s statue before the end of next month, June 2024.
“Also, the ministry is reconstructing and re-developing the Agia Tree Cenotaph, Badagry, a historical monument of the first place Christianity was preached in Nigeria.”
