The Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) has partnered with Lighthouse Group, a food preservation company in Ketu, Lagos, to provide students and artisans with practical industrial training in refrigeration and related technologies.
The partnership will create opportunities for students undertaking the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES), as well as those studying refrigeration, air conditioning and other related disciplines, to gain hands-on experience in a working industrial environment.
The agreement followed a technical visit to Lighthouse Group by participants in LASTVEB’s Artisans Upskilling Programme, which was held recently. The participants, led by Okunbanjo Bolaji of LASTVEB, are experienced technicians who already repair domestic and commercial refrigerators and freezers.
The programme was designed to equip artisans across Lagos State with advanced technical skills to undertake more specialised and better-paying jobs.
During the visit, the technicians were introduced to the operations of commercial refrigeration facilities and shown how industrial cooling systems help preserve food and maintain product quality.
They were received by Kemi Adesina, Lighthouse Group’s General Manager; Funsho Odumade, Facility Manager; Oladapo Olawale, company engineer; and Head of Labour.
Adesina gave the visitors an overview of the company’s operations, explaining its work in food preservation and its expansion from cold storage into drying technology. She noted that drying enables food products to be preserved for months and transported to markets far beyond their places of production. Participants also received samples of the company’s products.
Odumade conducted a safety briefing and guided the visitors around the facility, while Olawale explained the refrigeration equipment, its operation and maintenance requirements. He also responded to questions from the technicians during an interactive practical session.
At the end of the visit, LASTVEB proposed extending the relationship to accommodate SIWES students and learners who have received training in refrigeration, air conditioning and related technical fields.
Adesina welcomed the proposal, assuring the board that Lighthouse Group was willing to collaborate with the Lagos State Government and provide placement opportunities for students and trainees.
LASTVEB subsequently formalised the request in a letter from the Director of its Partnership Unit, Olawale Oluwo, thanking the company for its willingness to share technical expertise and open its facilities to the board’s training programmes.
The partnership comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s persistent post-harvest losses, particularly in fruits, vegetables and grains, caused partly by inadequate cold storage and food-processing infrastructure.
Industry observers have long identified limited access to refrigeration, drying and preservation facilities as major constraints on food security and agricultural value-chain development.
The initiative highlights the importance of developing a skilled technical workforce to support investment in the sector. Cold rooms, chillers and industrial drying systems require competent technicians for installation, operation, servicing and maintenance.
For Lighthouse Group, supporting technical training is also part of its contribution to food security and the development of the workforce needed to strengthen Nigeria’s food preservation industry.
The collaboration is expected to bridge the gap between classroom learning and workplace experience while creating a pipeline of skilled technicians for the country’s growing cooling and food preservation sector.
