LASCOCO To Collaborate With UK Counterpart On Exchange Training Programme

The Lagos State Cooperative College (LASCOCO), has revealed that it is about to conclude an arrangement with the foremost international training cooperative institution in the world, the United Kingdom Cooperative College on an exchange training programme.

Mr. Akorede Ojomu, Provost, LASCOCO, disclosed this during a working visit by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO), Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, to the College recently.

Ojomu said that the exchange programme, which had been endorsed by the Ministry of Justice, is at the final stage involving the drafting of a legal working agreement for both parties before the take-off of the programme.

According to him, the working agreement with the UK Cooperative College would allow students and staff of Lagos State Cooperative College to undergo exchange training programmes in academics and other development areas that support may be required.

He said: “We have concluded agreements with United Kingdom Cooperative College on the exchange training programme. The agreement has been endorsed by the Ministry of Justice in principle and is undergoing final adjustment and as soon as this is done from the Ministry’s end, we are good to go”.

“The essence of the programme is to expose our students to the best training in the world on cooperative studies and management in order to achieve and deliver on the College’s mandate of producing highly skilled manpower to the cooperative movement as well as create a platform and opportunities for Nigerians to develop and pursue a career in cooperative business activities”, the Provost stated.

Ojomu explained further that aside from the international collaboration, the College is also in collaboration with other State government training institutions such as Lagos State University, specialised vocational skill acquisitions centres such as the Women Development Centre, Technological Incubation Development Centre and Ibile Micro Finance.

While noting that the collaborations are aimed at giving the students hands-on skills acquisition knowledge, which is the pivotal essence of technical education, Ojomu emphasised that all achievements by the College, including the recent accreditation by the National Board for Technical Education, were due to the untiring support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for LASCOCO.

In his response, the Special Adviser on Parastatals Monitoring Office, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, advised the institution to improve its curriculum for students and enhance service delivery to customers and stakeholders for improved patronage and economic sustainability.

He said that cooperative societies are very essential to the development of the informal sector of the economy that engages a high percentage of the populace, stressing that this is why the College needs to train and produce quality personnel to manage cooperative societies for economic growth.

Ayantayo, therefore, called on the management to take advantage of the visit to provide detailed information on the College’s achievements and challenges for onward transmission to the State government for intervention where necessary in line with the purpose of the working visit to the College.

The Parastatals Monitoring Office (PMO) is the arm of Lagos State Government that monitors and ensures that all government agencies and parastatals are managed according to the law that established them and in line with their mandates.