100 Lagos Youths Get Business Start-up Kits

SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria has distributed business start-up kits to 100 young people in Lagos under its Empowering Lagos Youth (ELY) Project.

The distributed kits comprise digital cameras, laptops, sewing machines, solar installation tools, carpentry tools, and other items.

According to the organisers, the ELY Project is a two-year intervention that began in January 2025 and will end in December 2026. It targets socially disadvantaged young people aged 15 to 29 through technical and vocational education and training (TVET), digital skills, entrepreneurship training, internships, business mentorship, start-up support, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).

Speaking at the Business Equipment Support and Close-out Ceremony for the project in Lagos, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nigeria, Eghosa Erhumwunse, said the programme is designed to lift young people out of poverty.

“The whole essence of the programme is all about empowering Lagos young people. The idea is actually to accelerate the empowerment of young people to be able to move them away from poverty and provide them with opportunities for decent jobs and also empower them to start up their own businesses,” Erhumwunse said.

He said the current economic situation has made youth empowerment more critical.

“As an organisation, we work with young people to ensure that we help them, support them to be able to achieve their aspirations, become responsible individuals and be able to build their own families in the long run. We don’t want them to experience poverty,” he said.

Erhumwunse disclosed that the beneficiaries went through rigorous training before the distribution.

“These young people you have seen today have been tested and trusted. They’ve gone through a lot of training, vocational training, skills, entrepreneurship, including mental health and psychosocial support,” he said.

According to him, the project was funded by its sister organisation in Germany, Children’s Villages Worldwide. He added that local artisans and the Lagos State Government are partners in the project.

“This project is being sponsored by our sister organisation in Germany. We believe in local partnership. We have trainers, hairdressers and all other artisans. It’s an ecosystem because it’s still the same environment these young people will find themselves in,” he said.

He said the project targeted 200 participants but exceeded the target with 206 beneficiaries.

“The target was 200. Today, we achieved slightly more than 200, about 206 or thereabouts. So, it’s a success for us,” he said.

Erhumwunse explained that the start-up kits were personalised based on trade areas.

“They all went into different trade skills. You have someone who is into installing solar panels. You have IT gurus. You can see the computers there. You have those who want to go into hair styling, tailoring, cold room-related activities. It’s personalised, not generic,” he said.

He said the selection process was open and transparent, advertised across Lagos State and focused on vulnerable and hard-to-reach youths. He added that a post-empowerment support mechanism has been put in place to track the beneficiaries.

Two of the beneficiaries who spoke at the event expressed excitement over the support.

A 100-level Accounting student of MIVA Open University, Ashogbon Goodness, who now works as a data analyst, said she received the training free of charge after learning about the programme through a relative.

“I didn’t pay a dime to get this training and tools. I had a little knowledge of data analysis, but I was very confused at first. But at this point now, after this training, I’m bold enough. Now that I have this skill and tool, it’s time for me to start building myself and also use what I’ve acquired to help other people,” she said.

Another beneficiary, Akinola Abike, a 100-level student at the National Open University who is now into fashion design, said she spent 6 months in training and an internship after learning about the opportunity on social media.

“The experience was challenging and quite interesting because it gave me the opportunity to learn the skills that I always wanted to learn. Now that I have this rare privilege, I can start my fashion brand fully,” Abike said.

She said her business is already registered and the kit would help her scale.

“My business is already registered, and I have a social media handle to reach people outside my community. For the start-up, I’m so excited to have it so that I’ll be able to scale my business, move from my current stage to another stage,” she added.