The Lagos State Government has concluded arrangements to establish comprehensive schools across the state using public-private partnership (PPP).

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said this in a statement by Mr Ganiu Lawal, the Public Relations Officer, the state Ministry of Education.

Adefisayo said that the intervention was aimed at providing suitable career path for students based on their profile of intelligence, intellectual and skill competence.

She spoke at a Strategic Stakeholders Meeting with public/private institutions and individual stakeholders at The Zone, Workforce Group Gbagada, in Lagos.

“The essence of establishing comprehensive schools is to produce students who can fit into the workplace requirements.

“This is fit for purpose plan in addition to the current education system that will provide opportunities for employment and path to entrepreneurship,” Adefisayo said.

The commissioner explained that the initiative would give students opportunities to maximise either academics or skills acquisition.

She added that the initiative would reduce the increasing rate of school dropout and actively engage the students in their various skills interest.

“The additional knowledge gain will positively give them source of living while still in school and encourage them to be employers of labour,” Adefisayo added.

She said that the forum was organised to brief and solicit support of stakeholders on the plans by the Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration in turning around education through the initiative.

She called for stakeholders’ views and opinions toward actualising the vision.

According to her, the engagement is also expected to collate manpower needs of private organisations.

She said that it was also to see how students of the proposed comprehensive schools can add value to these organisations to reduce the rate of unemployment in the state.

The commissioner, who solicited partnership and involvement of all Public-Private stakeholders, emphasised the plans of the state to kick-start the project in 2022, as directed by the governor.

Also, Mrs Solape Hammond, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, described the initiative as significant, saying some students had a pathway in academics while others were more interested in vocational skills acquisition.

Hammond said that vocational schools were the bedrock of construction, manufacturing, digital/technology world, saying the initiative remained a pathway for creating jobs and filling the gaps of production in the country.

Mr Peter Bamkole, the Executive Director, Lagos Business School Enterprise Development Centre and Chairman, Advisory Committee, Lagos State Comprehensive School Programme, analysed the subject categories for students.

Bamkole said that the subject categories include Agriculture, Tech/Digital Skills, Beauty/Events, Building/Construction, Media/Entertainment, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Communication, among others.

He said that the key success factors toward achieving the project include proficient counselling, community engagement, industry involvement and excellent execution.

Also speaking, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, Senior Pastor, Trinity House and Chancellor, Well Spring University, commended government’s proactive measures in securing a better future for the students.

Ighodalo said that through the initiative the government would get the best out of the students and turn out young Nigerians fit for purpose to practice various skills.