Lagos  State continues to lead Nigeria in many areas with innovations on citizen developments and infrastructure.  The Government of Lagos has announced the opening of its website to register intending applicants for the 2017 edition of Ready.Set.Work (RSW) scheme, an entrepreneurship and employability initiative program to equip final year students of tertiary institutions in the state with the right skills to add value to society.

ReadySetWork is an employability and entrepreneurship program aimed at preparing final year students for immediate entry into the workforce as employees and employers of labour by equipping them with market-aligned knowledge, soft skills, business tools, and a mindset reorientation to the world of work.

This initiative of the Lagos State Ministry of Education in partnership with a network of stakeholders including Corporate Nigeria, Lagos state-owned tertiary institutions and training partners is aimed at addressing the gaps in the skill set of graduates of tertiary institutions in Lagos state and seeks to curb the current high level of graduate unemployment in the State through a strategic intervention  consisting of thirteen weeks of intensive training in work-based and entrepreneurial skills acquisition.

Some students will be trained in designated centers while some will be trained online.

Government said interested applicants would be able to access the website – www.readysetwork.com.ng from June 16, while the training will run from July 1 to September 16, 2017. The schools to benefit are: Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (ACCOED), Lagos State College of Health Science (LASCOHET), Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Lagos State University (LASU), Michael Otedola College of Education (MOCPED) and University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The project which made its debut in 2016 with its pilot edition hosting 500 students graduated a total of 472 students from the programme and placed a total number of 197 of these students in internship and apprenticeship opportunities in various corporate organizations including PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), GTBank Plc., FCMB, Total, Access Bank Plc., SystemSpecs to mention a few.

The programme this year will host 2,000 final year students drawn from six federal and state tertiary institutions while 10,000 Year Three students from all six institutions will be simultaneously admitted to an online learning academy to prepare them for admission into the program in their final year.

Registration will be open by 3.00pm today June 16 and close Saturday June 24

Register and apply here

Etisalat Nigeria is not making money. We noted that earlier today when we used government statements to build a case that it has never made a single profit since it began operations in Nigeria in 2009. When a company cannot make profits, it survives through fresh cash injections, if it wants to grow.

Etisalat is the 4th largest telecoms operator, behind Airtel (34 million), Glo (37 million) and MTN (60 million), in Nigeria. It has real crises over loans and its inability to make profits.

The company is now entering a very challenging trajectory as its leading shareholder is pulling out. According to Premium Times, Mubadala Development Company of United Arab Emirates is cutting its loses and pulling out.

Etisalat Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s fourth largest telecommunication firm, appears to be swimming deeper in troubled waters as Mubadala Development Company of United Arab Emirates, the company’s largest shareholder, has pulled out its investment and headed out of the country, those familiar with the matter have told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi Government-owned investment and development company, controls about 70 per cent of the shares in Etisalat along with Etisalat UAE mobile, with Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS, promoted by Hakeem Bello-Osagie, owning the remaining 30 per cent.

The UAE investor has hinted Etisalat Nigeria as well as the industry regulator, Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) of its decision to opt out of the joint ownership of the company, our sources said.

As early as next week, banks can take over Etisalat Nigeria. The ultimatum to pay its debts to banks expires tomorrow. Where it cannot make this payment, the banks will take over and then appoint a company that can help the consortium run the business. We do think Glo, being a Nigerian company could be appointed.

Etisalat Nigeria owns about $1.2 billion to many banks including Access Bank which led the transaction. The loan was to finance network capacities across Nigeria. However, as the economy deteriorated and profitability impossible, it became unable to service its debts.

The Central Bank of Nigeria and the telecom regulator, Nigerian Communications Communication, were both sympathetic and worked out ways to help the consortium and Etisalat Nigeria renegotiate and reschedule the loans.

According to Premium Times, the Chairman of the company, Hakeem Bello-Osagie, whose entity, EMTS, controls 30% of the firm, is yet to confirm this evolving issue for Etisalat. Nevertheless, EMTS, spokesperson noted as follows:

“I can’t confirm that information for now,” she said. “As you are aware, discussions have been ongoing for some time now with various authorities to find ways to resolve the crisis. I am not aware that that decision has been taken.”