The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), has graduated 600 market men and women, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), young adults and artisans who completed a three-day Digital Marketing Training aimed at strengthening their businesses and expanding their access to wider markets. The latest beneficiaries bring the total number of people reached through the Ministry’s digital empowerment initiative to 1,700.
The training, themed “From Local Business to Global Market: Leveraging Digital Marketing for Business Growth,” concluded with a graduation ceremony held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at the Women Development Centre, Agege, Lagos. Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada, said the programme was designed to equip residents with relevant digital skills to support entrepreneurship, livelihoods and economic participation.
Dada urged the beneficiaries to consistently apply the knowledge gained during the training to promote their products and services, create engaging content, communicate with customers and explore new markets. She noted that the Android phones distributed to participants would further enable them to put their digital marketing skills into practical use.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Rianat Ajibike Onigbanjo, commended Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu for supporting initiatives focused on skills development and economic empowerment. She also appreciated the Commissioner, the Ministry’s management team, the Director of Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Toyin Salami, and Liquid Luck Consulting for their contributions to the successful delivery of the programme.
Some beneficiaries shared positive experiences from the training, with shoemaker Mrs. Sanusi Mariam noting that the programme would help her reach more customers and promote her business, while sound engineer Mr. Oladotun Olutimileyin said he gained practical knowledge on using digital advertising, quality images and video content to attract customers. Past beneficiaries also shared testimonies on how digital skills and Android devices had helped them improve their online visibility and connect with wider markets.
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates and Android phones to the graduating participants. The beneficiaries were encouraged to maximise the opportunities provided by digital technology to improve their businesses, strengthen customer engagement and expand their reach beyond their immediate communities.
