GENERAL Electric Nigeria says it has successfully trained 141 Nigerian entrepreneurs on advanced manufacturing and business development skills. GE Africa Communications and Public Affairs Director, Patricia Obozuwa, disclosed this in during a ceremony to mark one-year operation of GE Lagos Garages. According to her, a strong example of GE’s commitment to skills development in Nigeria is the Lagos Garage, a hub for advanced manufacturing-based innovation, strategy development, idea generation and collaboration with public and private stakeholders. •From left: Uyi Apata, PWC; Babajide Bashorun, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment; Solape Hammond, Co-founder, ImpactHub; Lazarus Angbazo, CEO/ President, GE Nigeria; Seni Sulyman, Country Manager, Andela; Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment and Patricia Obozuwa, Head, Communications and Public affairs, GE Africa. “The Lagos Garage, launched in 2016, offers a year-round series of skills training programs focused on building the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs. Till date, 141 entrepreneurs have graduated the program having been trained to use the latest in advanced manufacturing technologies; 3D printers, CNC mills, and laser cutters as well as in business development,” she said. According to her, 100+ prototypes have been developed at the Garage with over 40 ideas being transformed into practical business models and about $1 million in funding has been secured by graduates of the program and 12 alumni businesses have won prestigious awards both home and abroad. “When people come into the Garage, they are exposed to advanced manufacturing technology. The Garage is there to build a manufacturing ecosystem and teach people the skills that are needed to be competitive in the future. These advanced technologies are new globally and in the same way that Nigerians have crossed the whole traditional telecommunications system and moved straight to mobile phones and adopted it in a big way, we anticipate that Nigerians will embrace these advanced manufacturing technologies and become immediately competitive globally,” said Obozuwa. Earlier, Lazarus Angbazo CEO, GE Nigeria, noted that the skills of a nation’s citizens determine the quality of its infrastructure and speed of advancement. “When the level of available skill does not match the requirements for building new infrastructure or maintaining existing ones, the country must make investments and create roles to put its people back on the path of progress. Because skilled labour is a critical consideration for global investment and urban development, having the right people with the right skills for the right jobs has never been more important,” he said.
