By Kayode Olopade
The Lagos State Government has partnered a non-governmental organisation, LEARNTOR Foundation, to curb the rising incidence of cybercrime among young people by equipping them with relevant digital and technology skills.
The collaboration is being driven through the Lagos State Public Service Staff Development Centre (PSSDC) and was reaffirmed on Tuesday at the opening ceremony of TechUp Boys Bootcamp III, held in Magodo, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Abisola Dokunmu-Adegbite, said the initiative was designed to provide practical and sustainable alternatives to cybercrime and other social vices by empowering young people with in-demand digital competencies.
She explained that exposing youths to structured technology education would not only enhance their employability but also promote the responsible and ethical use of digital tools, noting that the programme aligns with the state government’s broader youth empowerment, education and security strategies.
Dokunmu-Adegbite stressed that strategic partnerships with credible non-governmental organisations are critical to addressing emerging social challenges such as cybercrime, particularly among school-aged children, adding that government alone cannot tackle the problem.
In her remarks, the Convener and Executive Director of LEARNTOR Foundation, Mrs. Mercy George-Igbafe, said the bootcamp was built around mentorship, innovation and hands-on training aimed at redirecting the energy and creativity of young people—especially boys—towards productive and lawful digital careers.
She disclosed that the programme targets 250 indigent Senior Secondary School II (SS2) boys drawn from Lagos State public secondary schools in Alimosho Zone, Education District I, offering them data skills, leadership development and career-readiness training.
According to her, the initiative seeks to break the cycle of poverty, cybercrime and cultism, while nurturing a new generation of ethical technology leaders in the state.
George-Igbafe noted that the programme supports the Ministry of Education’s objectives on digital readiness, values reorientation and employability under the T.H.E.M.E.+ agenda of the Lagos State Government.
She further revealed that the foundation visited 25 schools in the Alimosho zone, conducted four weeks of online training, and selected top-performing students for advanced physical sessions. She added that about 300 students and 50 educators are expected to participate in live demonstrations at the PSSDC, focusing on data analytics using Microsoft Excel and basic financial bookkeeping.
Participants at the event commended the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention capable of reducing youth involvement in cybercrime while fostering a pool of skilled, responsible and future-ready technology professionals in Lagos State.
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