LSETF, Canva to train 5,000 Lagos businesses in AI

The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund and global design platform, Canva, are targeting 5,000 businesses across Lagos for digital marketing, branding and artificial intelligence training, with at least 2,000 expected to become regular users of the platform.

The one-year partnership will provide eligible nano, micro, small and medium enterprises with free access to Canva Business and at least four virtual training sessions to help them develop marketing materials, manage their brands and improve their online visibility.

In a statement obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday, the LSETF said the programme would equip businesses with practical digital skills they could apply to their operations, including the creation of branded content, presentations, portfolios and marketing campaigns.

The initiative comes ahead of the year-end trading season, when businesses in sectors such as hospitality, food, fashion, entertainment, beauty and retail compete for consumer attention.

Executive Secretary of the LSETF, Feyisayo Alayande, said access to finance alone was insufficient to help small businesses grow without the knowledge and digital tools needed to reach customers and present their products professionally.

“Beyond access to finance, businesses need the right knowledge and digital tools to grow,” Alayande said.

“This partnership with Canva gives selected Lagos MSMEs practical capabilities they can apply directly to their businesses, from creating compelling content to presenting their ideas with confidence.”

The training will cover brand management, AI-assisted design and marketing campaign management. Participants will learn to develop brand kits and reusable templates, use Canva’s AI tools to generate content through conversational prompts, and manage marketing campaigns across brands, markets and clients.

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Canva Africa Partnership Lead, Farai Ntuli, said the timing was intended to help businesses apply the skills during the busy trading period.

“Our timing is very intentional. Lagos businesses are heading into a busy trading season. We want to give owners practical tools to use straight away, from digital content to product packaging, pitch decks and building confidence in agentic workflows,” Ntuli said.

Beyond enrolling 5,000 businesses, the programme aims to demonstrate sustained use of the tools through practical outputs, including brand kits, presentations, portfolios and marketing assets. At least 2,000 businesses are expected to use Canva consistently.

Applications opened on October 9, while onboarding is scheduled for early November. Training is expected to continue until February 2027.

Established in 2016, the LSETF is the Lagos State Government’s agency for employment creation and enterprise development, supporting entrepreneurs, job seekers and small businesses across the state’s local government areas.