CITIZENS COMPASS— Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment yesterday, said it has partnered with Dreams Music Hall to provide a two-month targeted training and support to youths in the entertainment sector.
Lagos State Government, through the Ministry has organised a unique training programme called “EKO Studio Culture”.
The programme was also supported by The Place Group.
Speaking at the event, Mr Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, said that the goal was to train, support, and motivate youths to pursue successful careers in the entertainment industry.
Ajigbotafe reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting youths in developing their skills and encouraging them to strive for a brighter future.
“It’s a new idea, new concept to see how we can reach out to our youths, to see how we can empower them in the line of creativity.
“You know we have a lot of talent in Lagos State, we bridge that gap by supporting them in terms of training and encouragement.
“We are looking at how we can put together and support them in terms of production, creativity, cinematography, DJing and the rest, to encourage them and bridge the gap,” he said.
Ajigbotafe praised Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approving the programme and vowed to follow up, ensuring the participants become exemplary models for future versions of the initiative.
“We are not leaving them to themselves, the government is going to make sure that they succeed in that line of field they find themselves in,” he said.
Earlier, Dreams Musical Director, Yewande Williams, stated that the goal was to help participants explore the creative industry, educate them, and guide them in leveraging their creativity for self-empowerment.
Williams said the partnership with Lagos State Government aimed to help youths understand their talents and explore the vast opportunities available to them, highlighting the huge potential for success.
She advised those who discovered their talent to stay focused, keep learning, be observant, and stay informed about the music industry, given its rapid growth and evolving nature.
“As a teacher,I will educate them to pay attention to the business because it enriches their lives and actually helps them to be able to maintain their lifestyle.
“It is a two-month training programme. When they are done, they move on to internships, they will work with entertainment companies,” she said.
In her remarks, Ms Chinelo Umenauchukwu, Chief Operating Officer(COO), The Place Group Nationwide,said that the programme would help participants to learn and improve their skills.
“The creative mind encompasses a lot of things, not just the music industry, there’s also the acting, DJ, which is really what we are going into for our nightclubs.
“There’s also creativity in food, which is also our core business. So, creativity has a lot of factors, for us, we want to also give back to Lagos state where we started in 2006,” she said.
Music producer and aspiring sound engineer, Salvador Olabode, appreciated the opportunity, saying it would boost his confidence in the entertainment industry if he succeeds in the audition.
The Citizen Compass reports that the event featured notable entertainers including Small Doctor, DJ Tuzo, Teefamous, and other distinguished actors and artistes.
