First Group of Graduates Emerge from GE Garages Program in Lagos

Twenty-eight Nigerians graduated from a pilot of the Lagos Garages programme, powered by General Electric (GE). For over six weeks, the graduates were trained on product development, entrepreneurship, sales and marketing as well as the latest manufacturing technologies to enable innovation through rapid prototyping. The programme is dedicated to accelerating the impact of Nigeria’s most promising entrepreneurs.

GE and Dangote Foundation also announced that their collaboration on the Lagos Garage, is transforming the initiative to a year-round series of skills building programmes. Working with a variety of world-class instructors, investors, technical experts, and partners, the program participants will build a culture of collaboration and innovation and bring their wildest ideas to life.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony for the graduates in Lagos, Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said “I am delighted to work with GE to set up a learning environment that is different from the traditional classroom. This program is unique in that it is focused in both the classroom, as well as in the real-world – providing hands-on training in advanced manufacturing and production technology.”

The President and CEO of GE Nigeria, Dr Lazarus Angbazo is also optimistic about the future of the programme: “with more than 500 employees in Nigeria and 1,800 employees across 35 countries in the Africa region, GE is committed to supporting economic growth in Africa and driving both awareness and education on entrepreneurship via technology, hardware and software innovations in the industry.”
 
GE created the Garages program in 2012 to reinvigorate America’s interest in invention, innovation, and manufacturing. In 2014, Garages went global with workshops and a skills training program pilot at GE’s regional headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, using the latest in advanced manufacturing technologies. 3D printers, CNC mills, and laser cutters filled the first-ever fabrication lab in West Africa, driving innovation in the region.

GE is expanding on its past successes by working with The Dangote Foundation to evolve the Garage into a year round series of skills training programmes focused on building the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs. Participants will learn and apply the core principles of design thinking, product development, finance, marketing, sales, and customer acquisition in real-time to their ventures. The Garage will also provide access to a robust mentorship network, supporting entrepreneurship with of aim driving growth across all sectors of the Nigerian economy.