By Divine Sam

The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the 2027 election, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, has pledged that his administration would provide 40 per cent funding for apprentices’ stipends to encourage skills acquisition and improve employment opportunities for young people.

Hamzat made the commitment during an interactive session with the Lagos State chapter of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), where he presented his proposals on youth empowerment, technical education, innovation and economic development.

He explained that the proposed financial support would encourage more businesses to accept apprentices and collaborate with professional organisations in providing practical vocational and technical training.

The governorship candidate said his administration would also prioritise training in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, alongside vocational skills development and professional certification.

According to him, equipping young people with relevant practical skills and recognised qualifications would improve their chances of gaining employment and accessing financial opportunities to establish or expand businesses.

Hamzat also promised to strengthen the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council to enable young innovators to access funding, investment opportunities and international exposure.

He said the broader objective was to create an environment where entrepreneurs and innovators could develop their ideas, turn them into commercially viable products and expand their businesses, while contributing to Lagos State’s economic growth.