Women Development, Key To Achieving Economic Growth, Stability – Lagos State Govt

Considering the vital roles of women as homebuilders, their empowerment has been described as very crucial to achieving economic growth and stability in Lagos State.

The Director, Women Development Centre, (WDC), Mrs. ‘Deola Adepoju, stated this in her address on networking during a business training programme organised for women and youth at the WDC in Agege, Lagos.

Mrs. Adepoju reiterated the commitment of the Lagos State government to the continued empowerment of women and youth, stressing that it is one of the chief priorities of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

She noted that the government’s concentration on the empowerment of women stems from the belief that womanhood comes with a lot of responsibilities.

Speaking on the import of the training tagged: “Networking in Business: Using the Social Media as a Tool to Achieve Economic Growth and Sustainability”, the Director said digital marketing is now the in-thing, hence Lagos women and youth must not be left behind.

She said: “We now live in a digital-driven world where businesses are transacted digitally. We are now in a world where customers meet clients online without any physical contact and transact valuable businesses. Thus, this training is quite appropriate, especially looking at it from the context of the current global dispensation”.

Disclosing that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) recently trained 150 small scale business owners in the State on digital marketing, Mrs. Adepoju said “With the knowledge of digital marketing, there is room for empowerment and wealth generation. No one can complain of being short-changed because it is a free space for all.”

The WDC, she said, is convinced that the growth of digital entrepreneurship can lead to a new methodology that offers value for businesses at a reduced cost.

Earlier, the Director, Finance and Accounts, WDC, Mrs. Oluyemi Odefisayo, noted that social media has continued to redefine the global landscape, saying it has become a legitimised forum for not only communication but also for business transactions.

Her words: “Social media has become useful platforms in networking and conducting businesses. It has driven significant global economic growth by unlocking new opportunities and connecting people, brands and businesses more efficiently”.

Mrs. Odefisayo stressed that the workshop is a one-stop-shop initiative that is aimed at enhancing productivity and profitability via social media.

“It is spurred by the need to support and expand participants’ business ventures from the position of redundancy to inventiveness”, she said.

The Director, therefore, urged participants to make the best use of the once in a lifetime opportunity, stressing that it could make the difference in their bid to become entrepreneurs.