BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SSG), Barr. Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has described the National Industrial Manpower Summit (NIMS 2026) as timely and relevant to Nigeria’s quest for economic growth, industrial transformation and human capital development.
Salu-Hundeyin said skills development and manpower training were essential to national progress, stressing that Nigeria must invest in equipping its citizens with practical skills and knowledge to improve productivity and meet the demands of a changing economy.
She made the remarks while speaking with journalists at the National Industrial Manpower Summit 2026, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja, on October 15.
The two-day summit, scheduled for October 15–16, 2026, is organised through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Industrial Training and Development, Hon. Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde, in collaboration with a dedicated planning committee and relevant stakeholders.
Describing the summit as a successful initiative, the Lagos SSG said it had provided an important platform for government officials, private-sector representatives and other stakeholders to exchange ideas on strengthening Nigeria’s manpower development system.
According to her, the discussions reflected a growing recognition that developing the skills and capabilities of Nigerians is fundamental to building a productive workforce and achieving sustainable economic growth.
She noted that participants had advanced several recommendations on how the country could improve skills acquisition, with some advocating the introduction of practical skills training from the primary school level.
Salu-Hundeyin also highlighted proposals for integrating entrepreneurship into the conventional academic curriculum, explaining that combining academic knowledge with practical and entrepreneurial skills could better prepare young Nigerians for employment and self-reliance.
She maintained that such an approach would enable students to acquire competencies beyond classroom learning and equip them to identify opportunities, establish businesses and contribute to national development.
The SSG expressed satisfaction with the initiative organised by Hon. Adamson Oluwatosin Ayinde, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industrial Training and Development, noting that the summit had brought together stakeholders to deliberate on practical solutions to Nigeria’s manpower challenges.
She expressed hope that the recommendations from the discussions would be compiled into a communiqué and presented to President Tinubu for consideration and appropriate action.
According to her, the success of the summit would ultimately depend on the extent to which its recommendations were translated into policies and programmes capable of improving skills development and strengthening the country’s workforce.
She stressed that Nigeria needed sustained collaboration among government institutions, educational establishments and private-sector organisations to ensure that training programmes were aligned with the actual needs of industry.
Salu-Hundeyin further noted that investing in people remained an important component of national development, adding that a skilled and productive population could help drive innovation, enterprise development and industrial expansion.
She expressed confidence that implementing relevant recommendations from NIMS 2026 would contribute to building a stronger manpower development framework and advancing Nigeria’s broader development objectives.
The National Industrial Manpower Summit 2026 focuses on strategies for bridging skills gaps, strengthening workforce development and aligning training with the country’s industrial priorities.
