LAWMA ACADEMY CONCLUDES 2024 SUMMER SCHOOL

 By Ayodele Ifasakin 

… As Program Empowers Young Eco-Warriors in Lagos

The LAWMA Academy has concluded its 2024 summer school program, a comprehensive initiative designed to educate pupils on effective waste management and recycling practices.

The four-week intensive course, which was held at LAWMA's headquarters in Ijora-Olopa, saw participation of pupils across various schools in Lagos State.

LAWMA ACADEMY CONCLUDES 2024 SUMMER SCHOOL

In his address at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, represented by Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, Executive Director of Finance, expressed satisfaction with the performance of kids who participated in the program, while encouraging them to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their daily lives.

He said, "I am thrilled with your performance during this training. I urge you to go out there and share what you have learned with others. You must put these lessons into practice by properly sorting your waste and utilising recycling materials to create useful items."

He emphasised the importance of the pupils becoming ambassadors for waste management, adding "Wherever you find yourselves, remember that you now carry the responsibility of promoting good waste management practices”.

Head of LAWMA Academy, Mrs. Bola Adewumi, urged the participants to make good use of their new knowledge to promote sustainable living in their communities.

Highlights of the event included awards for outstanding students from the primary and secondary categories.

The pupils, as well as the August LAWMA Academy interns, named team SSS (Sustainable Solution Squad), showcased projects and innovations developed during the program, demonstrating their grasp of waste management concepts and their potential to drive positive change in their various communities.

The summer school curriculum covered topics such as waste segregation, recycling techniques, and the environmental impact of proper waste management. Participants also engaged in hands-on activities and practical sessions, leaving them with a sound knowledge of sustainable waste practices.

Lagos launches Last Mile Meat Shops & Butchers Academy

AgegePulse Magazine 

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya cutting the tape

The Lagos State Government has taken giant steps towards revamping the process of selling red meat in the metropolis by ensuring proper hygiene before the product gets to the final consumers.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya disclosed this in Alausa at the launching of the last Mile Meat Shops and Butchers Academy

She said that the initiative was to give residents confidence on what they consume while also making it look presentable with standard facilities to encourage youth to come into the space. 

The commissioner further noted that the essence of the initiative was for residents to embrace butchery and correct the erroneous impression that the profession is reserved for the unenlightened.

Olusanya noted that the 20 feet containers designed as pilot scheme for the initiative can be easily transferred from one location to another.

According to her, each meat shop is to be manned by four youth allocated a cow slaughtered at approved government abattoirs and brought to them under hygienic conditions and processes.

She therefore demanded for collaboration with the private sector to enlarge the scheme noting that they have started with 20 feet containers and hope to increase it soon to 40ft.

Going back memory lane, Abisola Olusanya explained that the initiative was part of the Lagos State Agriculture Roadmap adding that the initial plan was to have 20 for a start but was cut to 5 in the pilot scheme. 

According to her, the overhauling in the transportation sector led to the introduction of Eko Meat Van that ended the era of conveying meat through unwholesome practices.

She also pointed out that the Cattle feed lot in Lagos is ongoing and part of the promise made by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led government which will be delivered soon.

On his part, the Chairman Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture,  Hon Emmanuel Olotu commended the ministry for introducing ideas that will bring food and comfort to the door steps of residents.

He urged the Butchers Association to ensure that they put into practice what they learnt during training at the Butchers Academy. 

The Chairman House Committee on Agriculture stressed that the Butchers must realise the fact that they are attending to over twenty million residents and should be wary of what they pass on to them.

While adding his voice, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Oluwarotimi Fashola said that the iniative was a quality controlled measure in the state to give value for money. 

He assured that all the Meat Shops will sell in Kilogramme by weight for uniformity purpose.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Audu described the event as groundbreaking adding issues around meat consumption is important for human existence.

He also disclosed that food safety cannot be overlooked recalling that COVID 19 had its root in an animal market in China. 

The Permanent Secretary further said that the initiative was to assist in value chains in meat distribution as safety and quality are being addressed with the launch.

Emmanuel Audu concluded that the Last Mile Meat Shops was a new dimension especially with youth involvement in the process and hope the project will receive full acceptance by Lagos residents.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of  Butchers Association, Alhaji Kazeem Bakare thanked the Lagos State Government for iniating the project described as innovation to his members.

He said that the nature and value of cows slaughtered now is different from the one many years back.

According to him, the Butchers Association will embrace the new idea for safe handling of cow meat in the state promising that it will bring back some of members who have left the job for Okada and Marwa. 

Alhaji Kazeem Bakare urged other states in the country to embrace the innovation in order to restore sanity to the handling meat among their residents.

The Managing Director of Palilar Pal Meat International, Apostle Olawale Talabi appreciates the Governor for the opportunity, adding the vision of the Commissioner is coming to fruition.

He believes that the measure will guarantee high hygienic standard for the sale of meat to consumers in the state and allow the Butchers to earn more money.

Apostle Talabi further said that there is huge market for cow meat in Lagos noting that over 2,500 were slaughtered on a daily basis.

He disclosed that plans are underway to have the Meat Shops across the metropolis.

The Last Mile Meat Shops are located in Ijeh area of Dolphin Estate, Surulere and Mushin.

LAGOS OPEN: WE’LL SET UP TENNIS ACADEMY TO ATTRACT GLOBAL ATTENTION- AMBODE

…Says Future Tournaments Can Attract World Class Players

 AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Saturday said the State Government will fully support the setting up of a Lawn Tennis Academy in the State that would make the annual Lagos Open International Tennis Championship attract the global attention that it truly deserves.



Governor Ambode, who spoke at the finals of the 2018 Lagos Open Championship held at the Lawn Tennis Club in Onikan, Lagos, said the State Government has held talks with the State’s Lawn Tennis Association to open up an academy with state-of-the-art facilities that would attract world class players in future competitions.  



“This is the beginning of the support that Lagos State will continue to give to Lagos Open. The whole idea is for us to be able to move away from this particular location and set up a Lawn Tennis Academy that can actually have an upgrade of a world class competition.



“They have actually spoken to us that we need to open an academy. You see, what we have here on this ground is just seven courts, but if you want it to be globally attended and we want this Lagos Open to be globally competitive, we need an academy that would have like 16 courts and have other facilities to attract world class players and that is what Lagos is ready to partner with the association and because we want the name Lagos on the world map, Lagos State Government has to support the idea of a lawn tennis academy and that is where we are going,” he said.



The Governor commended the organisers and officials of the Lawn Tennis Association for sustaining the tradition, adding that the State Government was proud to be partners in progress with the 18-year old competition which was called The Governors Cup before it metamorphosed to the Lagos Open.



“I want to clearly say that I have enjoyed this particular tournament and I don’t think I have actually sat down somewhere for three hours in a long while. I want to congratulate the winners and also commend the officials and organisers and anytime anywhere, I would always come around because I am a lover of lawn tennis,” he said.

Earlier, the Governor displayed his tennis skills when he took part in a demonstration match as part of activities at the championship.



Governor Ambode, who played against the tennis captain of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, specifically showed some of his drop shot, backhand and top spin skills, with the spectators applauding while the match lasted.



Presenting an award of special recognition to Governor Ambode, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the Lagos Open, Chief Pius Akinyelure said the Association deemed it fit to recognise the Governor for his “enviable, untiring and significant support in the last few years towards the success of the competition”.



In the exciting Lagos Open Men’s final match, Jack Draper of Great Britain defeated Tom Jomby from France to emerge winner of the competition.