Lagos – The Technology Incubation Centre (TIC), Agege, Lagos on Thursday called on the Lagos State Government to decentralise the centre, for the benefit of more entrepreneurs.
The Centre Manager, Dr (Mrs) Julie Momah, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Momah said that there was need for the establishment of TIC extensions in other parts of the state, so as to enable a larger percentage of the people of Lagos to have access to the incubation programme.
She said that such extensions would ensure the creation of more jobs and wealth in the state by entrepreneurs from the extension centres.
According to her, the TIC should be extended to places such as Epe, Badagry, Apapa, Lagos Island and the Ibeju/Lekki Local Government Areas, for easy access of entrepreneurs to the incubation programme.
“We request the host state to partner with TIC Lagos, by establishing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs, where entrepreneurs can carry out research, youths can be empowered in information technology, skills acquisition and capacity building.
“This will enable the youth and prospective entrepreneurs in Lagos State to create jobs and be empowered with at least 5,000 gainfully employed youths and about 20,000 youths passing through the system annually,’’ she said.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Momah also called on the state government to rehabilitate the centre’s old administrative building, which she said was part of the responsibilities of the host state to the overall success of the programme.
She said that the TIC provided the necessary managerial, technical, financial and marketing support for the growth of new enterprises.
NAN reports that the centre, during its 7th Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 17, graduated 14 entrepreneurs, towards job and wealth creation in the country.
The Centre Manager said that with the 14 graduates, the centre had recorded over 80 entrepreneurs graduating since its inception in 1993.
Momah said that the TIC is promoted by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Lagos State Government, and was being coordinated by the National Board For Technology Incubation (NBTI).
She said that the centre had created wealth, created over 10,000 jobs and had over 3,000 different locally made Nigerian products in the market.
“Many of our entrepreneurs’ products cover various sectors of the Nigerian economy, such as agro-allied, fabrication, chemicals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food processing,” Momah added. (NAN)