R-L: Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, with Winners of Entrepreneur category, Biogas Production, Sarumi Oluwafemi; Dada Samuel and Country Senior Partner, PricewaterCooper (PWC) Nigeria, Mr. Uyi Akpata during the Ready, Set, Work Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2016.

Two Students of Lagos State College of Health Technology have received N5 million for designing Biogas technology through the treatment of animal waste.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode delighted about the initiative, donated the money to the outstanding students at the graduation ceremony of the school held recently. The students – Sarunmi Oluwafemi and Dada Samuel, were among the 422 successful graduates of the Ready, Set, Work (RSW) programme of the State Government targeted to equip graduates of tertiary institutions in the State with necessary entrepreneurial skills and to make them emerge as ready products for the increasingly competitive labour market, as well as job creators.

Oluwafemi and Samuel, who emerged as first place winners of the pitch competition of the programme, were equally given N1million seed funding and placed on N100, 000 monthly working capital for six months, all geared towards encouraging their business idea to grow.

The business idea, which is Biogas production, involves the treatment of animal waste in order to generate Biogas which can be used for domestic cooking, generation of electricity and other purposes. The technology is targeted at providing a potential substitute for the ever costly liquefied petroleum gas.

Ambode disclosed that the RSW initiative was one of the initiatives targeted at youth empowerment. He urged public and private sector such as non-governmental organizations, international agencies, and well-meaning Lagosians, to partner with the State Government in raising students and youths who will transform the State, the country and indeed, the world, also vowed to increase the number of students in the pilot scheme of the RSW programme from 422 in 2016 to 1000 in 2017.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (5th right), Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluranti Adebule (5th left) with 1st, 2nd  & 3rd  Winners of Entrepreneur competition during the Ready, Set, Work Graduation Ceremony, Class of 2016

Apart from the first place winners of the pitch competition, second place winners – One Box Group was given N500, 000 and placed on N100, 000 monthly working capital for six months, while the third place winners – Artisans On Campus, a group with online business plan, was given N250, 000 and equally placed on N100, 000 monthly working capital for six months.

Also, 80 students were placed on apprenticeship slots, while 92 were placed on employability module.