The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos Eko
Secondary Education Project, a World Bank assisted initiative aimed at
improving the quality of public secondary education, has partnered with
Samsung Electronics West Africa to provide training and job
opportunities in electronics engineering for students in the state.
Critical to this partnership was the inauguration of
the Samsung Engineering Academy, the first of its kind in Lagos as part
of the firm’s goal to develop 10, 000 electronics engineers across
Africa by 2015.
The academy, equipped with the latest electronics, is
aimed at addressing the dearth of technical and engineering skills in
Nigeria by providing hands-on, technical skills training for secondary
school students.
Governor Babatunde Fashola while inaugurating the
facility in Lagos, said there was an urgent need to develop technical
skills in students in Nigeria, noting that existing technicians must
have knowledge that are relevant to modern technology.
He said, “Upcoming technicians must be exposed to
cutting-edge technology if they must remain competitive. There is no
doubt that a sound knowledge of modern technology is the most important
resource for entrepreneurship and wealth creation for technicians.”
Fashola commended Samsung for partnering with the
state government on the academy, stressing that the college was not only
a knowledge hub but would also open up job opportunities for the people
of Lagos.
This, he said, was in line with his administration’s drive to create jobs, especially for young citizens.
On the partnership, the Managing Director, Samsung
Electronics West Africa, Mr. Nicholas Shin, said, “Our aim is to promote
cooperation, innovation, wealth creation and to facilitate thought
leadership in communities where we operate in response to the real need
and conditions.
“Samsung Engineering Academy is our CSR initiative,
undertaken in response to the need to train skilled workforce of
technicians who will become service experts empowered to create wealth.
Samsung as a quality service-oriented company aims to link CSR
activities to sustain our level of innovation, which can only be
achieved if we invest in quality education to empower the youth.”
According to him, students selected will go through a
year’s programme in engineering skills, aligned to technical school
curriculum. Upon completion of the programme, graduating students are
automatically eligible for internship at Samsung’s Channel partners.
Shin explained that outstanding performers stood a
good opportunity to work as independent service technicians or employees
in the company’s retail channel outlets, adding that they were also
qualified to participate in a year-long leadership opportunity at
Samsung Electronics headquarters in South Korea as part of the 100
African young leaders programme.
Samsung started the first phase of the academies in
South Africa in March 2011. The South African Academy officially ended
its pilot phase of the programme as the first class of students
graduated in January, 2012. In February, a second Academy was launched
in Kenya.
The academies are a part of the company’s global
‘Hope for Children’ initiative, which places a strategic focus on
bringing attention to the worldwide need for childhood education and
health care in an effort to improve communities worldwide.
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