The graduation ceremony for the HSE Technical Skills Development (TSD) Program, held on Saturday, November 30, 2024, in Ikeja, Lagos, was a momentous occasion that focused on the transformative power of education, resilience, and purpose-driven action. Dapo Omolade, Founder of the DOME Initiative and CEO of Hybrid Group, delivered an impassioned welcome address, celebrating the accomplishments of the TSD 4.0 cohort while highlighting the broader impact of the program on Nigeria’s workforce and society.
Omolade expressed his gratitude to all those in attendance, acknowledging the significance of their presence in marking the culmination of more than six months of dedication and hard work by the trainees.
The ceremony was more than a mere graduation; it was a powerful testament to the unwavering determination of young Nigerians who, through the TSD program, have equipped themselves with vital Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) and Sustainability skills.
In his address, Omolade drew on the resilience exemplified by the biblical story of Joseph, urging graduates to embrace challenges as an essential part of their journey toward success.
The Address Read:
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all our guests here today. Thank you for coming, especially at such a short notice. This means a lot to us, and we are deeply grateful. The formal graduation ceremony of our TSD 4.0 trainees taking place today is not just a gathering to celebrate achievement by these young Nigerians, but an opportunity and testament to the power of dream, consistency and resilience.
Today’s event brings mixed feelings and emotions that having a goal and desire to do good, create values and impacts your society can also come with pains, disappointments, cries and guilts, but these must not and never deter you from being purposeful and focus. If you have the dream and vision, then be ready to continuously overcome all obstacles that will come your way. We have this very example in the life and story of the biblical Joseph who on his way to the palace encountered not just disappointments, but life and purpose threating challenges.
I would also like to take this opportunity to specially welcome our HSE Technical Skills Development (TSD) 4.0 trainees and their special guests and families, for embarking on this journey of self-actualisation, determination, dedication, commitment and competence more than 6 months ago. You are the reason for today; we are all here to celebrate your achievements. Congratulations.
The TSD project finds its relevance in the words of Nelson Mandela, the acclaimed freedom fighter, who said, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” The difference we have made to the lives of others – to our families, to our friends, to strangers we have met – define who we are.
DOME Initiative and her partners have set out to provide sustainable structures for the society through building relevant competences in HSE and Sustainability that will empower Nigerian youth through human capacity and career development. This is the expression of what we are all witnessing today, a journey which started informally on August 27, 2010 but has now become a standard and reference for the future.
The TSD 4.0, our 4th batch since 2020 when we formally consolidated our journey of more than 15years into the structure that we see today, started on April 5th, 2024 with 15 young Nigerians who were selected through a very rigorous process with hundreds of applications from all over Nigerians. This particular batch, as you would see very soon in the program cuts across nine states in Nigeria, which represents 25% of the country.
This shows to us that the program is not for Lagos, but for the entire country. We are looking forward to when we would have all geopolotical zones of Nigeria fully represented in the training. Let me remind us again the importance of this distribution: our TSD is building HSE and sustainability career for Nigerian youth. It’s for those who will make the workplaces and society at large safe for dwelling while also enhancing economy development and growth for our dear country Nigeria. HSE can do this, we know this.
The TSD program is now very structured, and we would provide a more detailed information on the TSD program and structure in the course of this event today. From what we have put together and delivered to these great Nigerians, we are confident that they are more than ready for the workplace now. Indeed, a lot of them in this graduation today came from the workplaces and 1st employments as safety professionals, just a few weeks after completing their program in october. Let me also say that those who participated in the TSD 1.0 to 3.0 are all engaged today in workplaces in Nigeria and outside making great impacts.We are not alone in this journey. We thank God who is the source, purpose and reason for all that we do, including this project. We are grateful to all our partners & supporters, both corporate and individuals, who have given us their platforms, time and resources to achieve this success: Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), The Oil & Gas Trainer’s Association (OGTAN), Hybrid Group, ROXBOURG, clients, facilitators, industry experts and associates, trainers, my colleagues, the TSD project team, site supervisors, friends, etc.
Thank you for believing in us and joining us to impact the next generation. Finally, to my wife, children and the entire family, thank you for the encouragement and push to be the best that we can be. This is purpose and we will continue to achieve it together.
Thank you all for believing in a safe and rewarding Nigeria.
God Bless you all.
