LAGOSIANS WILL ENJOY MORE SOCIAL SERVICES – COMMISSIONER 

The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development (MYSD), Mr. Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende has reiterated that all residents of Lagos irrespective of their ethnicity or religion will enjoy more social services in the second term of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration, in fulfilment of his electoral promises.

Ogunlende gave the assurance at the Year 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing organised to commemorate the First Year of the Second Term in office of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, held today at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

He stated that the present administration, which has implemented many policies and programmes to cushion the effects of economic hardship on Lagosians during its first term, will look into areas that need improvement while initiating new policies to better the lots of everyone.

According to him, “MYSD in the last year has embarked on aggressive sensitization and advocacy campaigns to curb vices like drug abuse, street begging and child abuse in a bid to create a conducive socio-economic environment for development. We also renovated and put in proper shape youth centres across the state where the youths are being equipped with skills in vocations like catering, tailoring, shoemaking, ICT, hairdressing as well as leadership skills”.

“This is to prepare them for leadership positions and make them self-employed. We have rescued a lot of destitute and mentally challenged persons during our rescue operations to sanitise the state. The elderly, children and persons with disability were equally given due attention by assisting them in the form of finance or materials.

“The THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu which brought onboard Social Inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth made it more compelling for us as a Ministry to put in more efforts. We have started the review of Youth Policy and Child Rights Law to ensure persons in this category are not deprived of their rights.

Also, we have tried as much as possible to make the adoption process possible for all adoptees”.

In her remark, Permanent Secretary, Pharm (Mrs) Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu said in a bid to better the lots of Lagosians the Ministry collaborated with the United States Agency for International Development (UNSAID) to empower out-of-school youth in four urban slums with sexual reproductive and livelihood skills under the Youth Powered Ecosystem in Advance Urban Adolescent Health (YPE4AH). We also partnered with Ishk Tolaramt to empower some youth with specific skills towards enhancing their employability and entrepreneurship prospects.

Her words, “Our youth generally referred to as the leaders of tomorrow have been given a fair share in the scheme of things. The Fifth Legislative Assembly of the Lagos State Youth Parliament was inaugurated. The Ministry in collaboration with Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA) is currently working on a Youth Database for the State to have adequate information to plan and provide for the needs of the youth”.

“The Ministry has also sponsored 10 youth leaders on a cultural exchange programme to Finland where they had intensive training in leadership and management.

To ensure that the environment is made conducive for our Children, we were compelled to shut down orphanages involved in unwholesome practices and we also organised training in nutrition for operators of registered Orphanages and Homes across the State”, she added.