By Oluwatope Lawanson
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, says he has approved of the construction of an academic block to the Lagos State Cooperative College, (LASCOCO) Oko-Oba, Agege, to boost the academic performance of the Monotechnic.
Sanwo-Olu made this disclosure in his address at the maiden convocation ceremony of LASCOCO held at the Johnson Agiri-Agriculture Complex, Okooba, Lagos, on Thursday.
The governor represented by Mrs Lola Akande, Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, said the government was mindful of the key role that education plays in bridging societal gaps, personal growth and wealth creation.
“Education is a key pillar of our development agenda, a fact that has necessitated our massive investment in critical education infrastructure and also propel our formulation of policies that will engender human capital development and others.
“With my recent approval of the construction of an additional academic block which would accommodate four standard lecture halls, a studio, a consumer shop, a standard library, conveniences and 11 offices for both academic and non-academic staff.
“The Lagos State government no doubt is poised to become a global model in the provision of sound cooperative education.
“As such, when I received the news of the interim accreditation of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), which in my honest opinion was done in record time,” he said.
The governor also assured LASCOCO, of his administration’s commitment to provide the much-needed support required by the College to function optimally in turning out professionals needed in the sub-sector of the economy.
“We have thus established this college out of the need to complement efforts towards the creation of an economy that is knowledge driven and skill-based.
“This is in appreciation of the key role cooperatives play in enterprise development, job creation and generation of massive economic opportunities for the teeming population of the State.
“It is therefore expected that the existence of the LASCOCO will help to enhance performance of book keepers and trustees of cooperative societies, through the provision of need- based training.
“It will also help to meet specific manpower needs of the state through the provision of high-level manpower with capacity for self-employment and job creation,” he said.
The Chairman of the College Governing Council, Mr Oyewale Raji, noted that the number of registered Cooperative Societies in Lagos State had grown from 108 in 1967, to well over 15,000 with a net asset of N7.7b, according to the mid-year report of the Cooperative Department for year 2016.
He described such a huge number of cooperators managing a stupendous amount of funds of about N80 billion in today’s worth, as an essential part of the current administration’s THEMES agenda.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the T.H.E.M.E agenda stands for governor Sanwo-Olu’s six strategic agenda namely, Traffic Management and Transportation, Health and Environment, Education and Technology, Making Lagos a 21st Century Economy Entertainment and Tourism as well as Security and Governance.
Raji further described Cooperative Societies as gold mines waiting to be explored and exploited for the betterment of the people of Lagos.
“The economic reverberations and trickle-down effects of activities of this subsector can only be imagined in terms of improving the economic emancipation of the greater number of our rural dwellers.
“Thus unable to provide assets to collateralise loans from conventional banks and financial institutions,” he said.
The Provost of the College, Mr Akorede Ojomu, thanked the Lagos State government for the continued support and also solicited for more support.
“We also appeal to our amiable governor to assist in the procurement of a permanent site to meet NBTE’s requirement of not less than 10 hectares of land.
“This will enable LASCOCO to realise its vision as a global model cooperative institution.
“There is a lot of facilities that are still lacking in the college, for which we have presently improvised, but which are still required in the long run for the enrichment and standardisation of our academic activities.
“We need demonstration farms, a well-equipped entrepreneurship centre for vocational and entrepreneurial training, a pseudo micro finance outfit for students of Microfinance and Enterprise Development, to mention but a few,” he appealed
According to report, Honourary awards of Fellowship of the College were conferred on a former Commissioner for Commerce, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye and three former Permanent Secretaries, Masters Wale Raji, Olajide Bashorun, and Olalekan Akodu, for their immense contributions to the development of the college.
Mr Olajide Bashorun expressed appreciation to the college for the honour bestowed on them, while Mrs Oladunjoye announced that she will be meeting one of the College’s need by adopting the library, which will operate as a physical and e-learning centre.
104 students bagged Professional Diplomas in Cooperative studies during the convocation ceremony.
The breakdown of the graduands shows that 26 students graduated with Distinction, 47 with Upper Credit, 24 with Lower Credit and seven graduated with pass.
Five of the graduating students who distinguished themselves in the course of the professional Diploma programme were given prizes, with Mrs Veronica Akingbade carrying home the overall best student prize.
The special student award was given to Ogunjinrin Oluwakemi, a person living with disability for her tenacity and resilience during the programme.
(NAN)
